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FRUIT FROM THE 
JUNGLE 



FRUIT FROM THE 
JUNGLE 



by 
M. D. WOOD 



"And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, 
growing up and increasing ; and brought forth, thirty- 
fold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold." Mark 4:8. 
"He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit 
unto life eternal." John 4 : 36. 
"My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold." 
Proverbs 8:19. 



PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSN. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA 

Calgary, Alberta, Canada St. Paul, Minn. Cristobal, Canal Zone 
Kansas City, Missouri Portland, Oregon Brookfield, Illinois 



^ 



Copyright, 1919, by 

Pacific Press Publishing Association 

Mountain View, California 



©CLA5L2546 






FOREWORD 

TO those who may read this little volume, I wish 
to say that at first I had no intention of writing a 
book. Had I so planned, I should have formed a 
consecutive narrative, one chapter the unfolding of 
another, thus making a well rounded whole. 

Most of the chapters herein given are experiences 
from real mission life, and were intended for papers 
to be read by our young people in America; a few 
are the outlines of addresses given while on furlough. 
Some of them have appeared in missionary publica- 
tions in the United States. 

As this matter accumulated, friends suggested the 
idea of printing the whole' collection in book form. 
This I finally decided to do, hoping thus to bring these 
experiences before a larger number of young people, 
who might thereby obtain a clearer understanding of 
mission life among the heathen, and whose interest 
in this great work might thereby be increased. 

I have always felt that real mission life among the 
heathen is not so fully depicted to our youth in 
America as it should be; hence my plainness of speech 
in several instances. The refined conditions of society 
in the United States of America make it exceedingly 
difficult to explain properly real conditions in this 
field; but it is hoped that this little book will help 
to an understanding of the great need, and awaken 
among our young people a sympathy and soul burden 
for the depressed and lower classes in heathen lands. 

M. D. Wood. 

Kalyan, G. I. P., India. 



(5) 



INTRODUCTION 

I AM requested to introduce myself to those who 
may read this little book ; indeed, a list of questions 
to be answered has been placed before me. 

My paternal and maternal grandparents were na- 
tives of old England, which they left to find a home 
in New England, where both my father and my 
mother were brought up. In their youth, my parents 
listened to the preaching of William Miller and other 
Adventists. In fact, they both professed conversion 
among the Adventists, and were baptized by them. 
Later they were married by Elder Clark, of Massa- 
chusetts, who was pastor of an Adventist church till 
his death, and who conducted my father's funeral 
service from his meeting house. 

Six sons and one daughter were born in our family, 
I being the third youngest child. About the time of 
my father's decease, the four elder sons were able to 
earn their own living, and to assist my mother, who 
had the care of the three smaller children. For a 
short time, an aged uncle, who had no children of his 
own, gave me a home, and sent me to the village 
school. While there, I attended an Adventist Sun- 
day school, and also some of their camp meetings. 
Thus my first impressions of religion were molded 
by these sober and devout yet hopeful people. At 
a very early age, I fully believed that Jesus was soon 
to return to this earth. 

My next home, at the age of eleven years, was with 
a godly family of first-day Adventists, Mr. and Mrs. 
J. F. Guild, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts. This 
dear couple, who had no children, became my foster 
parents. They were known as Millerites, and our 
home was the stopping place of the Adventist minis- 

(6) 



Introduction 7 

ters who itinerated in New England. Originally, Mr. 
Guild was a Baptist; and he, with about forty others 
who accepted the teaching of Mr. Miller, was expelled 
from that church. Many times I have heard the 
Burnham brothers, as well as Dr. Litch, of Boston, 
and other Adventist preachers; and as they gathered 
around our table, I have listened to their serious con- 
versation about sacred matters. In fact, I may truth- 
fully say that I was rocked in the cradle of Adventism. 

Until I was twenty-five years of age, the home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Guild was mine; and I never knew, so 
far as love and kindness were concerned, any dif- 
ference between them and my own parents. I grew 
to love and respect them as tenderly as a child could; 
and to me, their memory will always be sacred. They 
both sleep in Jesus, to come forth, I fully believe, 
when He shall wake His sleeping saints. At Mr. 
Guild's death, he left several thousand dollars to be 
used in mission work. 

Until I was well along in my teens, I attended the 
public schools; but when I was eighteen years old, 
Mr. Guild sent me to Mr. Moody's school for boys at 
Mount Hermon, Massachusetts. I had been there but 
six weeks when, through the personal efforts of my 
Sunday school teacher, Miss Jessie Ironside, I gave 
my heart to Christ, and realized a great spiritual 
change in my life. All desire for worldly pleasures 
and rewards was taken away, and I threw myself 
whole-heartedly into Christian service. 

There was no Adventist church near Mount Hermon, 
so I attended the Methodist church, which afforded 
me an opportunity to teach a class in Sunday school, 
and to assist in other religious meetings. From the 
time of my conversion, I had a great desire to lead 
my unconverted young friends into the way of re- 
pentance and faith, and to see them take the same 



8 Introduction 

definite step I had taken. To this end I prayed and 
worked day and night. The greatest joy I ever felt 
was when some of them accepted Christ as their 
Saviour. 

Just about that time, the Student Volunteer Move- 
ment was organized at Mr. Moody's school, and I 
became completely absorbed in the subject of foreign 
missions. My heart was stirred to its depths as 
I listened to appeals for consecrated men. At six 
o'clock in the morning, Mr. Moody personally led large 
meetings for boys and young men who felt their 
need of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Although 
I attended these meetings, I did not gain that for 
which I sought; but later, at a Methodist camp meet- 
ing, faith was rewarded, and my heart was filled and 
satisfied with His sacred presence. 

Then I became more settled, and felt impelled to 
prepare for a life of service. About this time, I be- 
came a member of a Methodist church in New York 
City, a step which caused my dear old foster father 
some pain, for he had hoped I would become an 
Adventist preacher. While attending school in that 
great city, I found splendid opportunities to work in 
the large missions, and for some time conducted a 
Sunday school for the Chinese. 

While listening to the address of a missionary from 
India, I had a clear and convincing call to that field. 
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, . . . and they 
follow Me." The voice of the Shepherd is sufficient 
for one of His fold. 

At that time, I was very timid, and hesitated 
to tell my friends of my future plans; nevertheless 
I ever kept the one object in view, and bent every- 
thing to that end. When I told one friend, she 
thought me mad; and when I told my mother, she 



Introduction 9 

wept for grief. The path of duty is not always bright, 
neither do our dearest Christian friends always see 
eye to eye with us. 

In the fall of 1892, after seven years of study and 
preparation for mission work in India, I sailed for 
my future home and field of labor, in company with 
some other young people who had been my school 
companions. Now the door of opportunity had swung 
open, and I was indeed glad. We sailed by way of 
Europe, and landed in Bombay after a rough voyage 
and many new and interesting experiences. 

As I saw the huge blocks of rudely carved stone, 
bedaubed with vermilion and garlanded with flowers, 
and the nearly nude priests, covered with ashes from 
burned cow dung, bowing on knees and faces before 
those heathen gods, my heart was stirred. I had 
read books on India, seen pictures of Indian life, 
heard missionaries lecture about Hindustan; but the 
awful reality of idol worship had never fully gripped 
me till I stood dazed, under that burning Indian sun, 
in the streets of Bombay. To see a human being, 
made in the likeness of his Creator, prostrating him- 
self at the feet of a dirty, repulsive image of stone, 
knowing naught of the true God, moves a person's 
sympathies till he is filled with zeal to tear the scales 
from their poor, blinded eyes. 

For three years, my chief occupation was language 
study. Two years after my arrival, I was married 
to Miss Effie Holmes, from my own state, Massachu- 
setts. She was a member of the Methodist Church, 
had sailed for India one month before me, and had 
taken up the same language I was studying. Her 
period of service was brief. For one year, she bat- 
tled with Indian fever; and she died at the end of 
her third year in the field. She sleeps in a quiet 
English graveyard in the Central Provinces. 



10 Introduction 

Two years later, I was again married, this time 
to Miss Anna Mattock, of the Baptist Church, from 
Pennsylvania. She too was converted at about eight- 
een years of age, and in a missionary meeting had 
received her call to India. 

The incidents recorded in these pages now find 
their place in my life's history. 

My wife has always conducted medical work in 
each place where we have been stationed, every year 
treating thousands of sick and afflicted natives. The 
special blessing of God has accompanied her labors. 
Although the mother of four children, all born in 
India, she has never permitted her maternal cares, or 
anything else, to stand in the way of her doing the 
work which she believes God has called her to do. 

In the fall of 1909, with the object of giving our 
children better opportunities to gain an education, we 
sailed for the United States ; and immediately on my 
arrival, I took up the pastorate of two Methodist 
Episcopal churches in Minnesota. The Lord blessed 
our labors, and souls were added to the church. 

For several years, I had been convinced that the 
churches as a whole were not following the Bible as 
closely as they should. Man-made creeds have taken 
the place of God's word, and I yearned to know that 
what I taught and practiced in church life was in 
conformity to the revealed oracles of God. When I 
followed the rules of the church, I was certain that 
in some instances I was not fully on Scriptural 
grounds. 

Then the constant clamor from church members to 
make me a lodge member drove me farther from 
them. I had no affinity for, and no desire to be a 
member of, anything but Christ's own body, the 
church. Thus the false position of the church, and 
the worldliness of the same, led us to withdraw from 



Introduction 



11 



conference, pastorate, and membership. It was a sad 
and painful step; but, convinced that we were in the 
right path, we believed that the hand of God would 
lead us in the future. There were a few days of test- 
ing, when we wondered just what to do; but all was 
left in the hands of our heavenly Guide. Very soon 
a call came to take up church work in North Dakota. 
We did so, and spent some months in that state. 
While we were there, young people gave their hearts 
to Christ, and we had many proofs that God was 
with us. 

One day a young canvasser, C. J. White, came to 
our meetings. He impressed me as very sincere, and 
free from that spirit of worldliness which possesses 
so many of the young professed disciples of Christ in 
the churches. Later Mr. White called at my home, 
and I learned that he was a Sabbath keeper. I was 




The Wood Family When They Accepted the 
"Present Truth" 



12 Introduction 

not only surprised, but stunned. I had never heard 
a good word said in favor of Sabbath keepers, al- 
though personally I had never known one before. To 
me, it was a novel thing to meet one who kept the 
seventh day, and who was not a Jew. 

After a while, Mr. White fell ill; and as canvassers 
have no certain dwelling place, I shared mine with 
him, and tried to nurse him back to health, little 
realizing that God, who "moves in a mysterious way, 
His wonders to perform," had sent that young man 
to me as His messenger. One day I said, "Mr. White, 
I wish you would tell me why you keep the Jewish 
Sabbath." 

Thereupon he did tell me why; but I was no nearer 
keeping it than I was before. In fact, I was filled 
with bitter prejudice. After a short space of silence, 
I agreed to study the Bible with him on the subject. 
Soon light began to dawn, and I saw the path, marked 
out for all time, for God's people to walk in. I sin- 
cerely repented that I had always broken the fourth 
commandment, and pledged to keep God's holy law 
in the future. 

Soon other hidden truths began to appear as a re- 
sult of Bible study. I saw that man is not yet im- 
mortal; that all who sleep in Jesus, as well as all the 
wicked dead, are unconscious in their graves, await- 
ing the trumpet call of God. Prophecy, which had 
always seemed like a very stale and musty subject, 
now took on new freshness and luster; and books 
that had been sealed from my vision glowed with sim- 
plicity and interest. The investigative judgment and 
the end of the wicked were as clear as a bell, as I 
read with new interest and meaning words I had 
never understood before. I had promised to keep 
God's law; and that very fact seemed to put me into 
such relationship to truth that the Holy Spirit took 



Introduction IB 

the things of God, and revealed them to me. Jesus 
Himself was not merely the Son of God, but God 
Himself, and the author and creator of all things. In 
reality, I had a new Bible. 

This was a second conversion, and it made all things 
new. I cannot, in few words, tell the marvelous 
changes that took place in my vision of the Christian 
faith during that period ; it is enough to say that in a 
few months, I emerged from the dried-up chrysalis 
of human creeds and church rules, and was inhaling 
the atmosphere of another world. 

Let no one think I am exaggerating. This to me 
was a very fact. I was heartily tired of theology, 
and welcomed the bread of truth. For months, I 
ate it as a hungry soul, and wondered why I had been 
so impoverished. 

The next step was to place our children in one of 
our best schools. When this was done, my wife and 
I were free for a year of special Bible study and re- 
search at the Foreign Missionary College, at Wash- 
ington, D. C. Here we heard the word of God un- 
folded by men who had made its study the one great 
object of their lives. Those golden days of special 
privilege will never be forgotten. 

In the fall of 1912, the General Conference brethren 
thought it good to send us back to India, and to this 
we gladly agreed. Bidding the two older children a 
sad farewell, and leaving them in school, we again 
sailed for India, this time by way of the Pacific 
Ocean. At all the halting places on the way, we found 
churches of Seventh-day Adventists, who welcomed 
us, and some of whom would gladly have detained us 
in their fields. 

After a fifty days' voyage, we landed in Calcutta, 
and soon took up the threads of our work at Kalyan, 
Bombay Presidency. The last five years have been 



14 Introduction 

spent in building up the Marathi Seventh-day Ad- 
ventist church, also the medical, school, and litera- 
ture work. 

It is now fifty years since I first saw the light of 
day, twenty-five since I first put my feet on India's 
soil, and seven since I first heard the message of God's 
remnant church. Never for one moment have we 
regretted taking the step that cast our lot with this 
people; we only regret that the message found us 
so late. Our children are being educated in this 
truth; and several of our former friends have taken 
a stand for it, and joined God's commandment-keep- 
ing people. Not only so, but our spiritual children 
in India are now accepting the truth, and assist- 
ing us in telling it to their own people. Our hope 
is that we may toil on until the Lord of the harvest 
returns to reward His people with immortality. 

M. D. Wood. 
Kalyan, G. I. P., India, 
January 1, 1918. 



CONTENTS 

Foreword 5 

Introduction 6 

I Life at Kalivali 17 

II Idol Worship 29 

III Saved After Ten Years ....... 47 

r IV Kasho — The Dreamer 81 

V AnandRao 90 

VI The Epistle of John 97 

VII Snakes in India Ill 

VIII Casting Out Devils 127 

IX The Plague 141 

X Rama the Scavenger 155 

XI Bloody Offerings 167 

XII Obeying the Holy Spirit ...... 179 

XIII Was It Worth While? 193 

XIV "One Sows, Another Reaps" 205 

XV Beaten for Christ's Sake 215 

XVI A Free Camel Ride 235 

XVII Work at Kopergaon 255 

XVIII The Famine 273 

XIX Susie and the Sugar Plum 288 

XX Answered Prayer 297 

XXI What It Means to Give India the Gospel . 311 

XXII Healing in the Jungle 327 

(15) 




Saying "Salaam" to Each Other 



(16) 



CHAPTER I 



Life at Kalivali 



HEN I had been in India a few 
months, I decided to leave the com- 
fortable mission house and the society 
of English-speaking friends, and try 
life among the heathen in a native 
village. It was my plan to learn to speak 
the language "like a native"; and I felt that 
in order to do this, for a time I must hear 
nothing else. The superintendent soon found 
a building that had been used as a travelers' 
rest house, or chowdie, for natives in the vil- 
lage of Kalivali. Every Indian village has 
such a house for natives to stop in overnight. 
Two of us young missionaries, bent on the 
same object, decided to use this house, and 
prepared to move in. 

Kalivali is ten miles from the nearest rail- 
way station. We were driven over the coun- 
try in native bullock carts till we came to a 
large stream. The cart men took our goods 
over, and we were carried across on the backs 
of big, strong natives, who asked only a few 
pice for their labor. 

(17) 



18 Fruit from the Jungle 

We had not seen the house we were to oc- 
cupy, till we drove up in front of it. To 
say the least, we were surprised to see this 
native "mansion," which consisted of one big 
room, about twenty feet long by fifteen feet 
wide. The house was made of dried mud, 
with a floor of the same material. When we 
walked over the floor, our shoes broke up the 
dry crust that was its surface, and it soon 
looked like an ash heap. 

The way in which the natives keep down 
the dust is to smear the floor over with a 
slime made of water and fresh cow manure. 
This mixture is prepared in a pan, and spread 
on evenly by hand. If applied once or twice 
a week, it furnishes a fresh, thin, green car- 
pet of cow dung, that is effective for the 
purpose, but the odor is sickening. The na- 
tives always go barefooted indoors, so they 
do not break up their floors. I suppose the 
use of so much water on the floor made the 
house more unhealthful than usual. A tent, 
which we could have placed under a large 
shade tree, would have been cleaner and far 
safer. 

We had scarcely reached our new quarters 
when a crowd of curious natives flocked 
around to look us over. We said "Salaam," 



Life at Kalivali 19 

and they soon departed. The house had but 
three walls, with a row of posts in front; 
so we had no privacy whatever. At first, 
we sat and pondered the situation, and 
planned what to do to make ourselves com- 
fortable. As soon as one learns how to get 
on with little or nothing, it is easy enough; 
but the learning takes time. 

Finally we concluded to tack up sheets at 
one end of the room, and place our cot beds 
there for privacy. But this was not a sure 
protection; for if a native wanted to see us, 
he did not stop to knock, — that being a 
European custom, — but deliberately pulled 
aside the curtain and walked in. 

We had employed a native Christian cook 
named Bapu, — an honest fellow, but un- 
trained, and so filthy that we lost our appe- 
tites when he brought our food to the table. 
He had no house to sleep in, so made our 
front steps his place of abode for some time. 
We were glad to have him there as our in- 
terpreter. He cooked our food on one end 
of the front steps; and when the wind blew 
in our direction, the smoke came also, and 
frequently brought with it strong whiffs of 
garlic and frying onions. 



20 Fruit from the Jungle 

Sometimes we kept a little food or milk 
overnight; and as we had no doors, the 
village dogs and cats entertained us from 
sunset till dawn. Finally we secured some 
bamboo matting and nailed it across the 
opening in front, piling up our table and 
chairs for a door at night. We were fre- 
quently aroused by the dogs pushing over 
the pile of furniture, which would come down 
with a crash. Then we would lie in bed and 
hear the dogs scratching on the matting, and 
sniffing at the food in our screen-covered 
box. 

Our front yard was also a gathering place 
for donkeys; and when several of them brayed 
half the night, we had a restless time of it. 
The rotten ceiling rafters made a good hid- 
ing place for sparrows, which lived on the 
crumbs that fell to the floor; and at times, 
our house was like a large bird cage. 

Gradually we became accustomed to these 
somewhat unpleasant surroundings, and slept 
on untroubled by minor disturbances, with 
one exception — bedbugs. Natives had used 
the house for years, and the posts and the 
rafters were alive with these pests. All our 
goods were covered, and there was no way 
of getting rid of them. 



Life at Kalivali 21 

We engaged a hunbi (farmer boy) to in- 
struct us in the language, and made its study 
our main business. Once a week we had 
"market day" in Kalivali, when a few vil- 
lagers would gather, and spread out their 
wares under the scorching sun. How they 
stared at us two white men when we went 
among them! Much of their stuff was sold 
in the lump rather than by weight. At 
first, this was a problem to us, for we had 
never bought that way before, and we scarcely 
knew how much we should receive for our 
money. We knew only a little of the lan- 
guage, but found the market a good place 
for practice. 

We kept a small native pony, which took 
us from village to village, and became a real 
companion. The turtledoves had their nests 
in the babul (gum arabic) trees, and their 
plaintive cooing added to our feeling of iso- 
lation and loneliness. I have never enjoyed 
their mournful cry since then. 

But those were profitable days. We 
studied books, customs, and people, and soon 
found ourselves quite advanced in native 
ways and ideas. Never shall I forget those 
experiences; and although they were hard 
at the time, I shall always be grateful for 



22 Fruit from the Jungle 

them. We learned much of value that we 
might not have gained under more favor- 
able conditions. God greatly helped and 
blessed us there. 

FACE TO FACE WITH A WOLF 

Wild plums, or bora, grew on the river 
banks near Kalivali; and one evening, we 
went to gather some of them. The sun had 
set, and the evening was cool and pleasant. 
As we were filling our baskets with the lus- 
cious yellow fruit, we looked up, and to our 
astonishment, saw, directly in front of us, 
and not more than ten feet away, a large 
wolf. For a second, we were dazed. It was 
necessary to act quickly; and as we had no 
weapon with which to defend ourselves, we 
decided to give one yell, and leap suddenly 
at him. This we did, and as suddenly he 
was gone, and we saw him no more. We 
were thankful he did not attack us; for we 
were in close quarters, and he might have 
done us much harm. 

OUR FIRST PUBLIC WORK 

It was in Kalivali that we began our first 
public services in India. Though we could 
say very little in that strange language, God 
was with us, and wonderfully helped us. We 



Life at Kalivali 23 

would take our stand before a huge village 
idol, and say: 

"This is stone; no God here. God above, 
not on earth. God above in heaven. We 
on earth. Devil is bad. Sin is bad. You 
stop sin. You believe in God, and Jesus 
His Son. Jesus died for you and me. Jesus 
saves me. Come to Jesus." 

Then we would sing several songs, which 
the natives always appreciated. It is so much 
easier to read or sing than to talk! Some- 
times our cook would help in these simple 
efforts, telling the people who and what we 
were, and thus advertising our religion. It 
was feeble work indeed; yet God blessed it, 
and gave us many tokens of His favor. The 
natives never made sport of us nor gave us 
trouble, but tried to help us talk to them, 
and acted as if they knew what we wanted 
to say, even when we could only half ex- 
press ourselves. We soon learned to read 
very well, and much of our spare time was 
spent in reading the Bible in different parts 
of the town. 

One young man of great intelligence used 
to spend many of his evenings with us, talk- 
ing of Christ and reading His word. His 
heart was hungry, and he used to say, "Some 



24 Fruit from the Jungle 

day I will be a Christian too." I think that 
at special meetings a few years later he was 
converted. 

The head master of the village school be- 
came quite friendly, and called often to see 
us, frequently bringing a little gift of food 
from his home. Sometimes it was only a 
bit of fruit, such as a lime; but it expressed 
his desire to be friendly. 

CROSSING A RIVER BY "CHARPIE" 

While at Kalivali, we made one trip to 
the mission house, ten miles distant. A heavy 
rain fell during our stay; and on our return, 
we found the river at Kalivali badly swollen. 
Carts could not cross, and men and bullocks 
were swimming over. Our cart man was 
paid at the river bank, and left us. There 
we sat for some time, watching the natives 
and the cattle, and wondering how we should 
get across. We prayed God to help and 
deliver. What else could we do but call 
upon Him? 

Surely He heard and answered; for soon 
the natives of Kalivali brought a charpie 
(cot bed), and a big bundle of dried squashes 
tied to ropes. Then four strong men bade 
us be seated on the bed, and they tied the 



26 Fruit from the Jungle 

dried squashes to it. We obeyed orders; 
and each man, grasping a corner post , of 
the bed with one hand, swam with the other 
till we had crossed the deep and angry 
stream, and landed safely on the other side. 
The squashes buoyed us up, and the men 
furnished the power and propelled us oyer. 
All we had to do was to sit perfectly still- 
not so easy, under the circumstances 

The well water at Kalivali was salty and 
unfit for use, so we had to drink river water. 
Of course, all the villagers living on the 
banks of the river for miles up and down 
the stream not only drank the river water, 
but bathed their bodies and washed their 
clothes daily in it. We boiled the water 
used alum to settle or purify it, strained it 
through a towel, and then placed it in a 
water jar in the breeze to cool It was 
quite unsatisfactory after all was done, but 
we were thankful to have even that. 

We never knew the import of the words, 
"Sorrow not, even as others which have no 
hope " till we saw a funeral at Kalivali. A 
man living near us died in the night Early 
in the morning, the barber shaved the heads 
and faces of the mourning brothers and other 
male members of the family. The corpse 



Life at Kalivali 27 

was laid on a crude bamboo bier, his face 
was painted red, and then the mourners were 
permitted to express their grief. 

The women pulled their hair and beat 
their breasts, shrieked, rolled on the ground, 
and frothed at the mouth. About nine o'clock 
in the morning, the men took up the body, 
and bore it to the river, where they immersed 
it, and then they carried it to the grave- 
yard. There they lighted their pipes for a 
smoke, and proceeded to dig a shallow hole 
for a grave. They were loud and rough. 
At last, two men jumped into the grave, 
doubled up the dead man under their feet, 
placed huge rocks on the body, and then 
covered it with earth. These poor people 
know of no resurrection through a living 
Christ. 

After a while, we came down with fever, 
as a result of the dampness and unhealth- 
ful surroundings of our mud house, and 
the unclean river water. We moved out 
just in time to save our lives, but not soon 
enough to avoid an illness that lasted three 
months, and brought us close to death's 
door. A trip of two weeks to a cooler cli- 
mate in the hills built us up, and so we 
pulled through. A change of climate will 



28 Fruit from the Jungle 

often break up a very stubborn attack of 
India fever. How good God was to us dur- 
ing those days of initiation! 

Much earnest work has since been done 
in Kalivali, and some have believed in Christ. 
Many more will accept if properly taught. 
May God bless Kalivali. 



CHAPTER II 




Idol Worship 

T is very easy to learn what Jehovah 
thinks of idols. "I am the Lord thy 
God," He declares. "Thou shalt have 
no other gods before Me. Thou shalt 
not make unto thee any graven image, 
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven 
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or 
that is in the water under the earth: thou 
shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor 
serve them." Through the psalmist, He says, 
"Confounded be all they that serve graven 
images, that boast themselves of idols." 
Again: "Their idols are silver and gold, the 
work of men's hands. . . . They that make 
them are like unto them; so is every one 
that trusteth in them." 

The fate of idol worshipers is also clearly 
set forth: "The fearful, and unbelieving, 
. . . and idolaters, and all liars, shall have 
their part in the lake which burnetii with fire 
and brimstone: which is the second death." 
So explicit is the word of God on the 
subject of idol worship, that it is the book 

(29) 



30 Fruit from the Jungle 

of value above all others to scatter among 
the idol-worshiping millions of India. The 
Hindu confesses that his religion approves 
of thirty-three million gods; hence we find 
gods great and gods small, gods short and 
gods tall, gods of gold and gods of earth 
— yes, gods by the millions on all sides. 
One of the first things that catches the eye 
of the newcomer in India is the image of 
some god. Many of these are carved in 
the shapes of snakes, bulls, monkeys, ele- 
phants, horses, etc. Others are more re- 
pulsive, suggestive of evil, and often dis- 
gusting in the extreme. 

THE PRIESTS OF IDOLATRY 

Temples are everywhere in India, hun- 
dreds and even thousands of idols being 
placed in them side by side. Usually these 
temples are surrounded by the devotees, or 
priests, who are the attendants of the gods, 
and act an important part in keeping up 
the whole abominable system. 

These men would not meet a Westerner's 
ideal of priests, at least in appearance. Most 
of them are without clothing, save for a 
small loin cloth of salmon color. Many of 
them wear a great coil of hair, made by 





A Fakir at Delhi 



"A Holy Man' 



braiding long hair cut from cows' tails into 
their own. They think to add to their merit 
in this way, as the cow is regarded as sacred 
by the Hindus. Some who pass as holy 
men shave part of the head, leaving a shandi 
— a lock of hair something like a Chinese 
cue — at the top. 

During the years of our stay in Hin- 
dustan, we have seen millions of these fel- 
lows. Yet it is difficult to describe them 
accurately, for there are scarcely two of them 
just alike; nevertheless they never appear 
quite like the rest of the people, and are 
readily distinguished from them. You can 

(31) 
3 



32 Fruit from the Jungle 

tell one as far as you can see him, by his 
dress, hair, ornaments or lack of ornaments, 
by what he carries, his speech, etc. Most 
of them are low and ignorant, though of 
course there are many exceptions; and as a 
class, they are grave and serious in demeanor. 
They have no fixed place of abode, but 
wander here and there, lounging about the 
temples, and begging from house to house. 
They are inveterate smokers, and most of 
them indulge freely in the use of opium, 
ganga, and other narcotics. They are a 
nuisance all over India, not only to foreign- 
ers, but also to their own people. 

You would not be able to remember the 
names of all the gods and goddesses of In- 
dia, even if I were able to give them to 
you. Chief among them, however, are 
Kali, Jagannath, Siva, Parvati, Vishnu, and 
Krishna. The Hindu says, "Wherever your 
faith is, there is your god." So the sun, 
the moon, the stars, fire, air, water, and 
everything in the universe is an object of 
adoration. 

KALI, AN UGLY AND CRUEL GODDESS 

Kali is the name of a very ugly and cruel 
goddess, said to be the wife of Siva. She 







The Goddess Kali 



has two characters, one mild and the other 
fierce, and is represented as a black or dark 
blue woman with four arms. In one hand, 
she carries a sword; in another, the head 
of a giant, whom she has slain; and with 

(33) 



84 Fruit from the Jungle 

the other two, she is encouraging her wor- 
shipers. She wears a necklace of skulls, 
and has two dead bodies for earrings. Her 
only clothing is a girdle of dead men's hands; 
and her tongue, a vivid vermilion, protrudes 
from her mouth. Her eyes are as red as 
those of a drunkard, and her breasts are 
besmeared with blood. She stands with both 
feet on the body of her husband. 

The natives say that after her victory over 
the giant, she danced for joy so furiously 
that the earth trembled. Certain offerings 
are very acceptable to her. The flesh of the 
antelope and the rhinoceros give her pleasure 
five hundred years; with a human sacrifice, 
she is pleased one thousand years; and with 
a sacrifice of three men, she is pleased ten 
million years. Blood drawn from the body 
of the worshiper himself is looked upon as 
a very proper and desirable offering. 

The sacred books of the Hindus tell them 
that when they worship Kali, they should 
say: "Kali, Kali, hail devi! Goddess of 
thunder, hail, iron-sceptered goddess! . . . 
Hrang, hrang, Kali, Kali! O horrid, tooth- 
less goddess! Eat, cut, destroy, all malig- 
nant! Cut with the ax, bind, bind! Seize, 



Idol Worship 35 

seize! Drink blood. Spheng, spheng! Se- 
cure, secure, salutation to Kali!" 

The thugs who used to rob and murder 
travelers made offerings to Kali before they 
set out, and expected her to preserve them 
from detection. Immense crowds assemble 
to worship this terrible goddess. Pilgrims 
who visit one of her temples are expected 
to sacrifice a goat, a sheep, or a buffalo. 
Parents desirous of sons, and families in 
sorrow, often vow to Kali that if their re- 
quests be granted, they will sacrifice a kid 
to her. Those who offer this sacrifice must 
also pay to the priest four annas, or eight 
cents, for the privilege. 

On some days, hundreds and even thou- 
sands of animals are sacrificed to Kali, and 
the priests divide the proceeds among them- 
selves. The courtyards of these temples 
look like slaughterhouses, while the smell is 
sickening on account of the hot climate. 
Flies swarm everywhere, and disease abounds. 

On busy days, noisy, bustling crowds sur- 
round the temples, pushing and jostling one 
another, with nothing sacred about the cere- 
mony. When a victim to be offered is 
brought, the priest puts a little vermilion 
on the forehead of each worshiper. Then 



36 Fruit from the Jungle 

the executioner puts the animal's head into 
a cage, and beheads it. A little of the blood 
is sprinkled in front of the idol, and the 
pilgrim carries away the headless body. 

JAGANNATH 

Jagannath (Juggernaut) is another hor- 
rible idol. He has circular eyes, and a 
straight headline, with a square knob at the 
top. The nose is large and hooked, the 
mouth crescent-shaped, and the arms pro- 




The Car of Juggernaut 



Idol Worship 37 

ject in a line with the mouth, ending in 
stumps without any hands. He is about six 
feet tall, and is black all over. 

These images have several changes of rai- 
ment each day. The first, at dawn, is most 
simple. Later, another is put on for the rest 
of the morning, and yet another for the 
afternoon. Still another outfit is used when 
the worshipers smear themselves with san- 
dalwood paste. Soon after dusk, following 
the evening meal, the court dress is put on. 
Jagannath is usually kept in a room as dark 
at midday as it is at midnight, illustrating 
the scripture, "Men loved darkness rather 
than light, because their deeds were evil." 

Food that has been offered to this god 
is called Malwprasad, and is regarded as 
absolutely holy. The Hindus believe that 
a single particle of this food is able to wash 
off the moral taint of the greatest crimes 
that created beings can commit. Dancing 
girls are kept in the temples. Sometimes 
there are as many as one hundred and twenty 
in a single place to dance for the gods after 
meals. The idols representing Jagannath 
have many feasts during the year, such as 
the "Holi," or warm clothing festival, the 
birth festival, and the bathing festival. At 



38 Fruit from the Jungle 

the last-named, the idols are bathed; then 
they are supposed to be sick for two weeks, 
having contracted fever from bathing. Dur- 
ing this period, they receive a new coat of 
paint. 

The car festival for Jagannath, the great- 
est event of the year, usually takes place in 
June or July. Pilgrims throng by thou- 
sands to this feast. The car of Jagannath 
is forty-five feet in height, and has sixteen 
wheels. When the idols are brought out 
and placed in carts, the vast multitudes 
surge back and forth, shouting as with one 
voice, and thousands fall on their faces in 
the dust. Then the crowd drags the cart 
down the main street of the town. 

Music strikes up, drums are beaten, cym- 
bals clash, and charioteers shout obscene 
songs, with coarse gestures, which are re- 
ceived with roars of laughter from the 
crowd. Jerking, tugging, sweating, shout- 
ing, jumping, singing, praying, and swear- 
ing, the crowd pulls the cart along. Four 
thousand two hundred professional pullers 
are required to move the car of Jagannath 
a distance of one mile, it is so heavy. 

Pilgrim hunters all over India try by 
every means in their power to get poor, 



Idol Worship 39 

deluded souls to visit these sacred places of 
worship. They declare that the ground all 
about Puri, the place of the gods, is literally 
made of gold. Pilgrims must purchase their 
food at these sacred places. Often it is 
so miserably prepared that they cannot eat 
it, but they dare not waste a morsel of such 
holy diet. Often it is eaten after it has 
decayed. Pilgrims suffer greatly, too, from 
the impurity of the water in the sacred 
tanks. Although these are filthy, and cov- 
ered with slime, the water is said to be holy, 
and therefore the people drink it. 

Disease and death take a fearful toll from 
these crowds every year, both at the holy 
places and along the way thither and re- 
turning. Hundreds of skeletons are scat- 
tered along the principal routes to the 
different places of special worship. When 
conditions become too bad, the government 
steps in and puts a stop to the pilgrimages. 

THE GOD SIVA 

Siva is worshiped under the form of a 
thick, uncarved block of granite, about eight 
feet long. This block is bathed several times 
a day with a great profusion of water, also 
with milk, and even with intoxicants, and 



40 Fruit from the Jungle 

wiped dry after each washing. Offerings of 
flowers, sandalwood paste, and new clothes 
are placed on the block, and the idol is in- 
voked to accept them. This idol also is 
kept in a dark room, where only the sick 
may enter, with a lamp. His daily worship 
consists of twenty-two acts, as follows: 

1. At dawn, a bell rings to awaken the 
god. 

2. A lamp with many wicks is waved. 

3. The teeth of the god are cleansed with 
a long stick. 

4. The god has a full bath. 

5. The god is dressed. 

6. The god has breakfast of grains, sweets, 
curds, and coconuts. 

7. Breakfast of cakes and viands is served. 

8. A lunch is served. 

9. The god has his regular lunch. 

10. Dinner of curry, rice, pastry, cakes, 
and cream is served. A priest burns a 
lamp and incense. 

11. Strains of noisy music are sounded 
to waken the god, who has slept for some 
time. 

12. Sweets are offered. 

13. An afternoon bath is given. 

14. He is dressed again. 



Idol Worship 41 

15. A meal is served. 

16. Another bath is given. 

17. He is arrayed in full dress, — costly 
vestments and yellow flowers, — and per- 
fumed. 

18. Food is served. 

19. Regular supper. 

20. Oblations. 

21. Waving of lights. 

22. A bed is brought, and the god com- 
posed to sleep. 

One's head nearly swims at the thought 
of so much ceremony for a stone, and all 
this in the name of religion! Oh, what can 
be found here to cure a sin-sick soul? — 
Nothing, absolutely nothing. Yet this is 
all that these poor people know. 

Many of the temples in India have been 
erected through the generosity of Hindus of 
royal blood. Large sums have also been 
collected in small amounts from the people, 
and devoted to this purpose. 

HANUMAN/THE MONKEY GOD 

At Benares may be found the Monkey 
Temple. Here large monkeys are cared for 
in temples as the representatives of Hanu- 
man, the monkey god. These agile animals 



42 



Fruit from the Jungle 



scamper over the tops of the houses, and 
wherever their fancy leads them, sitting on 
walls, and watching their opportunity to steal 
the property of travelers. They are fed 




A Monkey Tamer 



An Old Sadu, or Beggar Priest 



with grain supplied by worshipers, the giv- 
ing of which is believed to be a very meri- 
torious act. When a person scatters grain, 
and cries, "Ao! Ao!" ("Come! Come!") the 
monkeys gather in large numbers. 

On account of the mischief done by these 
creatures, a magistrate removed large num- 
bers of them to the jungles some years ago. 



Idol Worship 43 

In this system of idol worship, man has 
"changed the glory of the uncorruptible God 
into an image made like to corruptible man, 
and to birds, and four-footed beasts, *and 
creeping things." Note some of the re- 
sults of this awful system of idolatry: There 
is an incalculable loss of money, and a great 
deal of toil and sickness; the worshipers are 
corrupted, and wickedness is increased. In 
many instances, the mode of worship is re- 
volting in the extreme. The worshipers are 
deceived by the most outrageous falsehoods, 
and demerit is acquired instead of the merit 
promised by the priests. No instruction is 
given concerning man's duty to God and 
his fellow men, and the objects worshiped 
give the most degrading ideas of Jehovah. 

SACRED PLANTS AND TREES 

Many plants and trees, such as the pepul 
tree and the toolsie plant, are regarded as 
sacred by the Hindus. Every Hindu who 
can afford it has a garden in which he 
raises fruits, flowers, and sacred trees, which 
are dedicated to the priests and the gods. 
Usually several idols are found in the shady 
nooks of such a garden. 



44 Fruit from the Jungle 

Night after night, the Hindu is found 
in the temple, chanting his weird songs, and 
making the night hideous with his shouts 
and yells. He is never ashamed to be seen 
bowing before idols. Usually the climax is 
reached at midnight, and the sounding cym- 
bals and the noise of the multitudes make a 
din that is fairly deafening. 

RAG GODS 

Before closing this chapter, I must tell 
you of the rag gods, which we have seen 
many times. A rag god is nothing but a 
tree by the roadside, covered with various 
sorts of rags. One person vows to the tree, 
and tears off a piece of his garment as a 
sacrifice. This is repeated day after day, 
year after year, till the number of wor- 
shipers runs* into thousands, and the tree is 
a mass of waving rags. At first, a foreigner 
smiles at the sight; but when he sees men 
actually bowing before such a god, he grows 
sad with pity for the deluded worshipers. 

Driving through the mountains, we have 
often seen by the roadside huge bowlders 
dedicated as gods. These are covered with 
red paint, and daily receive the homage of 
the cart men. Usually a heap of coconut 



I 



Idol Worship 45 

shells is scattered about at the foot of each 
of these crude gods, a coconut being a com- 
mon offering. 

WHAT IS IT TO YOU? 

These things have not been written to 
entertain or amuse those who might read, 
but to open their eyes to the present needs 
of India. I have told you but a very little. 
Volumes on such themes have been written 
by many eyewitnesses, yet the half has never 
been told. One must visit India to get a 
faint idea of her sad and needy condition. 
Will you not ask God to bless and save 
her people? And will you not give of your 
means, be it little or more, to help those 
already working in that needy land to pro- 
claim the good tidings to those who sit in 
darkness and the shadow of death? 



46 Fruit from the Jungle 

"Before Jehovah's awful throne, 
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy. 
Know that the Lord is God alone; 
He can create, and He destroy. 

"His sovereign power, without our aid, 
Made us of clay, and formed us men; 
And when, like wandering sheep, we strayed, 
He brought us to His fold again. 

"We are His people, we His care, — 
Our souls and all our mortal frame; 
What lasting honors shall we rear, 
Almighty Maker, to Thy name! 

"We'll crowd Thy gates with thankful songs, 
High as the heavens our voices raise; 
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, 
Shall fill Thy courts with sounding praise. 

"Wide as the world is Thy command, 
Vast as eternity Thy love; 
Firm as a rock Thy truth shall stand, 
When rolling years shall cease to move." 



CHAPTER III 




Saved After Ten Years 

HEN we began our village mission 
work at Zoonagaon, we found that 
we had as regular attendants three 
boys from one family. They were 
little fellows ranging from six to 
twelve years of age. They told us their 
people were stonemasons, and belonged to 
the goundie caste. 

We usually gathered our Hindu friends 
with the boys and girls under a large banyan 
tree not far from the home of these three 
brothers. Almost ten feet from the trunk 
of the tree stood a small shrine about four 
feet high, made of stone and cement, and 
built on a cement platform. In this shrine 
was placed a row of wooden idols from about 
eight to fifteen inches long. They looked 
like a child's dolls, each crudely carved out 
of a straight stick of wood, and painted 
with vermilion. At night, before the shrine 
might be seen a tiny light, burning from a 
coconut shell. In front of the shrine and on 
the ground there was usually a pile of coco- 
nut shells, these nuts being among the most 

(47) 
4 



48 Fruit from the Jungle 

common offerings to the idols. On a cer- 
tain day each year, — and at that time, they 
are rather expensive, — tons of coconuts are 
thus offered, and then cast into the ocean. 
After we became known to these people, 
we taught their children the Ten Command- 




Two Little Mohammedan Broth- Three Brothers from One Fam- 
ers at Our Kalyan School ily at Our Kalyan School 

ments and many other parts of the word of 
God; and we are sure they will always re- 
member that we told them just what an idol 
realty is. 

Among the brightest, keenest boys at that 
place were the three brothers already re- 
ferred to. They were faithful in attendance, 



Saved After Ten Years 49 

and learned many Bible texts. An older 
brother taught in the public schools. He was 
evidently too proud to come into our gather- 
ings with the rest of his people, though he 
often stood at a distance and listened to 
what was said, and for some reason, never 
objected to his brothers' learning from us. 
Perhaps he thought they could never be 
turned from Hinduism to Christianity. 

Whenever these boys saw us approaching 
with our company of Christians and musical 
instruments, they would run for mats or 
chairs, and carry them to the shade of the 
tree, for us to use. Surely this spoke of a 
welcome to us, and we greatly appreciated 
their courtesy. 

RAMANA 

The oldest of the three brothers, Ramana 
by name, was self-appointed usher, and took 
it upon himself to make all the others sit 
where he thought they should. In this way, 
he really helped us; and if for any reason 
he was absent, we missed his assistance very 
much. 

After a while, the parents and many of 
the relatives and friends of these boys be- 
came regular attendants at our service at 
that place; and whenever we passed their 



50 Fruit from the Jungle 

home, they came out and greeted us with 
respectful salaams. 

Most of the children of India are very 
poor. Not only do they wear no clothes, 
but they seldom get even a taste of popped 
corn or other things such as children in all 
countries usually like. So it has always been 
our custom to take with us a bag of some- 
thing that we know the children are fond 
of. I would tell them to sit quietly with 
folded hands while we instructed them, and 
then every one would receive a present. It 
would not be wise to do this if these children 
were Christians; but as they are heathen, it 
has a good effect, winning them to us, and 
holding them while we sow the seeds of truth. 

When the famine of 1900 came on, we 
were glad to be able to assist many of these 
people by giving them work. Following 
famine came the plague. We were grieved 
when news came to us that one of these 
brothers had died. For some time, the fam- 
ine and the plague broke up our meetings, 
and our flock about the banyan tree was 
scattered. When we resumed meetings at 
that place, many little faces were gone; yet 
we were glad we had taught them the word 
of God and to sing Christian songs. One 



Saved After Ten Years 51 

of the greatest comforts to our hearts in 
that town was to hear the boys whistle and 
sing our Christian songs in the streets and 
about their play. 

HUNGRY BOYS 

One afternoon, several of these boys came 
to the mission house, and said they were so 
very hungry they did not care if they did 
break their caste. They were so hungry they 
would eat food prepared by a Christian cook, 
requesting only that they be allowed to eat 
it in secret. We consented, food was pre- 
pared, and they evidently relished it. We 
were well repaid by their expressions of 
gratitude and appreciation. I think it also 
helped them to see that eating our food did 
not defile them, nor make them any worse 
off than they were before. 

Caste people may not eat food nor drink 
water handled by castes lower than them- 
selves. All white men and Christians are 
regarded as outcastes by Hindus. Some of 
these lads frequently attended our services 
conducted for Christians. Few heathen ever 
do this, so most of our inside meetings are 
for our own people. Meetings for heathen 
are generally held out in the open. 



52 Fruit from the Jungle 

One day, Ramana came to the mission 
house, and had a serious talk with two of 
the missionaries. He said he believed in 
Christ, and really wanted to accept Him; 
but it was hard to forsake all, and he felt 
that he could not take the step then. We 
were disappointed, but did not forget to pray 
often that this young man might have cour- 
age to decide for the right. 

For some time after that, there was si- 
lence, and Ramana seemed shy of the meet- 
ings and the mission. He obtained employ- 
ment, and was lost in the crowd, so we did 
not see him for months. Then we opened 
our medical dispensary in town. This was 
a new feature of mission effort ; and Ramana, 
hearing of it, became almost a daily visitor. 
He did not always come for treatment or 
medicine, although a mere scratch on his 
hand or foot would have been to him ample 
excuse for a visit; but he seemed to like 
the atmosphere of the place, where he al- 
ways heard the Bible read and sweet songs 
sung. Without doubt, his heart longed to 
be free from the yoke and chains of super- 
stition and heathenism. He saw beyond him 
the green fields of peace, while he fed in 



Saved After Ten Years 53 

the wilderness of sin and bitterness. The 
struggle going on in his heart must have 
been fierce in those days. 

READY TO HELP 

At the dispensary, he was only too glad 
to be asked to go on errands, and was al- 
ways ready to help in any way, and give 
what time he could. He attended public 
school until his eyes began to trouble him. 
After leaving school, he frequently requested 
the mission to employ him; but usually Hin- 
dus are not employed when there are needy 
native Christians to look after. He kept 
company with the Hindus, but frankly con- 
fessed that he had no faith in idols, and 
never worshiped them. Of course, we were 
glad to hear this, and had no reason to 
doubt his word. 

I think he may have taken part in the 
good times on their feast days; and fre- 
quently his mother would prepare a tray 
of nicely cooked food, with sweets and fruits, 
which, with great pride and pleasure, he 
would present to us. It pleased him also to 
see us taste of each thing. Finally Ramana 
became an apprentice to a tailor in town, 
and decided to pursue that occupation. Thus 



54 Fruit from the Jungle 

time rolled on with us all till about the 
ninth year after we first met under the 
banyan tree near the shrine of the gods. 
Then Ramana could endure the pent-up feel- 
ings of his heart no longer; he made up his 
mind definitely to study the Bible and the 
Christian religion for himself. 

eamam's marriage arranged 

His parents had spent a considerable sum 
of money in making an engagement for his 
marriage, which did not altogether suit his 
enlightened ideas. He had never seen the 
little Hindu girl whom he would be called 
upon by this step to take and support. He 
knew that Christians did not do things that 
way, and he wished to choose for himself 
when he was ready for so important a step. 
As an obedient son, however, he knew that 
he must soon be married to the girl his 
parents had chosen for him, and when thus 
married, he must live with her. He wished 
to become a Christian; and what would he 
do then with a child wife, and a Hindu at 
that? 

More serious thoughts than ever now pos- 
sessed his mind. If he could only become a 
Christian before the marriage, then they 



Saved After Ten Years 55 

would at least have to postpone it. But he 
needed to know more of our religion before 
he could take that step. What should he 
do? He seemed in a plight indeed, and 
frequently came to us for advice and coun- 
sel. Realizing our personal responsibility, we 
prayed for help to do the right thing at the 
right time; but we often wondered what the 
outcome would be. 

Our great Teacher said, on one occasion, 
"Ye are the salt of the earth," and, "Ye 
are the light of the world." Truly this is 
so; for when a servant of God daily goes 
in and out among the heathen, he is always 
preaching the gospel, whether he is conscious 
of the fact or not. In time, such influences 
bear their fruit among idolaters, who are 
convinced of a better way through the gospel 
of light and truth. This was Ramana's state. 
He saw the light, he believed in it, and 
yearned to walk in it, while his natural heart 
and every earthly influence about him seemed 
to pull in the opposite direction. 

A MOMENTOUS DECISION 

One day, Ramana came to the mission 
house, and, like a trustful child, sat on the 
floor and opened his heart in confidence. 



56 Fruit from the Jungle 

He longed for rest and quiet, and acknowl- 
edged that his greatest battle seemed with 
his own heart. But he was tired of the 
struggle, and was ready to do anything if 
only we would take him, and teach him the 
way of peace. I was out in the jungles 




S3C- 



*•£«, > 




A Hindu Reading God's Word 



Cutting off the "Shindi," or 
Sacred Lock of Hair 



that day looking after some men who were 
cutting grass. He hunted me out, and came 
bounding over the fields to say he had de- 
cided to leave the life of the past and become 
a Christian. 

Men do all the dressmaking and tailoring 
in India; and as this young man possessed 
some experience in that work, we concluded 



Saved After Ten Years 57 

that the mission ladies could teach him daily 
how to cut and sew, and I could give him 
Bible lessons. Thus he would be able to 
gain a livelihood and a fuller knowledge of 
the gospel truth at the same time. His work 
brought him to the mission house daily; but 
as he boarded at home, his people did not 
suspect his full intentions. 

Ramana wanted a Bible to study for him- 
self; so from the Bible fund, one was bought 
for him. I never saw another person so 
anxious to read and know the Bible as that 
lad. He always kept it open beside him 
at his work. All his spare time was spent 
in its study, and frequently he remained until 
a late hour at night to read. He seemed 
to think he must read the whole book before 
he could understand what we really be- 
lieved. Every one at the mission house was 
amazed at his intense interest. We have 
never seen anything just like it, either be- 
fore or since. 

THE PLAGUE AND PROVIDENCE 

By and by Ramana's parents began to 
wonder why he spent so much time at the 
mission, for he had never worked such long 
hours before. Their suspicions were aroused, 
and they accused him of planning to leave 



58 Fruit from the Jungle 

Hinduism. About this time, plague broke 
out again in our town, and the government 
forbade our people to associate with those of 
the plague-stricken district. In this we saw 
the providence of God; for Ramana was 
obliged to remain at the mission night and 
day, or be sent off to the jungles with all 
who were driven from the town because of 
the plague. The town itself was actually 
deserted. Now came the golden opportunity 
of his life, and wisely he improved it. 

He not only studied the Bible, but he 
began to commit our hymns to memory, and 
delighted to repeat them one after another. 
He also began to pray at our meetings. I 
shall never forget the night he decided to 
take the final step. He prayed and con- 
fessed and sought divine help for nearly an 
hour. His petition was most pathetic. A 
change was very evident in his life and words. 
He had really accepted Christ in his heart, 
and endeavored to conform his life to every 
precept of the word of God. 

"l MUST BE BAPTIZED" 

Ramana found a special friend in one of 
our schoolmasters, Lucas by name, and these 
two spent much time in study together. As 



Saved After Ten Years 59 

soon as work closed one evening, Ramana 
came to me, and said: "Sir, I cannot con- 
tain myself any longer. I must be baptized." 
Before this request was made, the elder 
brother had heard that Ramana was praying 
and reading the Bible, and it had caused 
such a stir in their home that the elder 
brother took a cane, and beat this young 
disciple of Christ so severely that he bore 
the scars for many days. Yet he patiently 
endured it. The day he asked for baptism, 
we scarcely knew what to say. There was 
no deep water in those parts; so we de- 
cided to dig out a spring and make a place. 
This took several days. In the meantime, 
he told his people his intention, and was 
willing to take the consequences. 

A TRYING TIME 

People in America and other Christianized 
lands little realize just what it means in 
India to become a Christian. To a Hindu, 
truly it is death to all once held dear. About 
this time, the mother of the boy paid us a 
visit, and became so enraged as she spoke 
of the matter, that she foamed at the mouth, 
and was literally beside herself. She de- 
clared she would beat out her brains on our 



60 Fruit from the Jungle 

doorsteps before she would consent to her 
son's becoming a Christian, and actually 
did bang her forehead on the stone steps. 
Then she said she would jump down a well. 
Finally she and her daughter began to pull 
at the boy's hair, arms, and legs, till we 
feared they would kill him, and interfered 
to protect him. Then she said: "Take him, 
then. I don't want him. Now he is yours, 
and not mine any longer." After this, she 
threw rocks at the house, and left to go to 
the police station, all the time screaming out 
oaths and foul language. Verily she seemed 
as one gone mad or possessed with a demon. 

That indeed was a trying time for us 
all. We were so grieved over what we had 
seen and heard that we had little to say to 
one another. It was a time for great cau- 
tion and much prayer. The evil one seemed 
let loose upon us, and a battle between the 
forces of good and evil seemed waging about 
the place. 

Ramana decided to remain with us at 
the mission, perhaps fearing that his people 
would kill him if he went to his home. About 
this time, Mrs. Wood had some patients in 
the locality of Ramana's home; and when- 
ever she went to visit them, whether on foot 



Saved After Ten Years 61 

or on horseback, Ramana's mother and sister 
were sure to come out upon the public road, 
and curse her as she passed. Some of our 
native Christians who lived near became 
afraid to pass Ramana's home, as his people 
seemed always on the lookout for Christians, 
and bent on expressing their hatred in some 
way. 

After a while, Ramana decided to go 
home, and show his relatives he could be 
kind to them, although he had changed his 
faith. They endeavored in all manner of 
ways to pervert his mind and turn him aside, 
but the lad stood firmly. He said little, but 
walked circumspectly. Daily he came to 
see us, and told us all that was going on. 

Our hearts were sick during this time, and 
we knew that God alone could help us. 
These battles with wicked people and the 
powers of darkness are quite common in 
India. While they are on, they seem to 
divert the mind from everything else, and 
sap the vitality and strength of the workers. 

There is little if any restraint among those 
whose hearts are "set in them to do evil"; 
and when they are wholly given over to 
the devil, they are absolutely reckless, and 
indifferent as to the results of their misbe- 



62 Fruit from the Jungle 

havior. When the evil spirits had become 
weary, and matters began to quiet down, 
Ramana made up his mind the time had 
come for him to obey his convictions and be 
baptized. Quietly calling me aside one day, 
he said, "Sir, please take me away from 
this place, and baptize me, and then they 
will not marry me nor have anything more 
to do with me." Little did he realize then 
that the greatest battle for him was just 
ahead. 

A SECRET ERRAND 

Calling the missionaries together, we told 
them what we thought of doing. No one 
disagreed, so we began to plan for our 
silent departure. Ramana quietly brought 
a few of his clothes into the mission house, 
and we packed them in a suit case, and 
engaged two seats in the mail coach for the 
following day. The plan to leave was kept 
a secret. The coach would drive to our 
door, stop at the post office a moment for 
mail pouches, and then at five in the after- 
noon we would be off toward the railroad 
station, twenty-eight miles distant. Those 
were anxious moments till the time came 
to leave. 



Saved After Ten Years 63 

The next day, the mail coach drove up to 
our door; and bidding the family good-by, 
we were soon on our way to the post office: 
Ramana and Lucas were in the habit of 
taking a walk together at this hour; and on 
this particular day, they had gone across 
the mountain pass, intending to meet the 
coach outside the town limits. The driver 
asked for the other passenger; but we re- 
plied, "He will meet us on the way, outside 
the town." We feared lest he should be- 
come inquisitive, and want to know who was 
to go with us; but he was silent — much 
to our relief. 

We had driven on for several miles, before, 
from the side of the winding mountain road, 
out stepped our other passenger, Ramana. 
We merely said "Salaam," and he quickly 
seated himself beside me. Then, lest he 
should be recognized by some one going to 
our town, he threw a cloth over his head, 
and pretended to lie to one side asleep. We 
did not talk much on the way, and then only 
in short sentences. 

In India, one may be a Christian, and it 
does not matter so much among the Hindus 
until he is publicly baptized. But from 
that moment, he is counted as a real Chris- 



64 Fruit from the Jungle 

tian, and is usually ostracized by all his 
former associates. Ramana only longed thus 
to be cut loose from them all. 

When we reached the railway station, 
about 9:30 p. m., I began to feel a sense 
of relief, and quite sure of our escape with- 
out detection; but my charge cautioned me 
lest some one knowing us might be at the 
station, or that perhaps his family had tele- 
graphed ahead to the police to stop him 
from getting on the train. While I pur- 
chased the tickets, he quickly slipped off in 
the shadows, but where he could see me as 
I boarded the train. I purposely took a 
third-class ticket, and chose an empty apart- 
ment, where we could be by ourselves, and 
pray and converse together. 

"another orphan" 

When the signal to move on was sounded, 
Ramana quickly slipped into the train and 
closed the door. Soon the train was in mo- 
tion; and with a sigh of relief, we began to 
breathe freely once more. In his relief, 
Ramana threw his arms about me, and knelt 
on the floor of that speeding train, thanking 
God for a safe deliverance, and begging His 
special protection and blessing. I asked 



Saved After Ten Years . 65 

God that if it was His will, as a sign of His 
special approval, I might obtain another 
orphan boy for my school while on this trip. 

When we arose, we began to speak of 
Ramana's family at home, and what they 
would probably say and do. We knew he 
would be missed at once, because for some 
time he had spent his nights in his own 
home. His mother would go to the mission 
house (this she actually did), and would 
be very angry with the Padri Sahib, — the 
preacher. Then she would conclude that 
her efforts to keep her son a Hindu were 
vain; and the sooner she gained this knowl- 
edge, the better for herself and all con- 
cerned. 

With these thoughts uppermost in our 
minds, we spread out our blankets and pil- 
lows on the board seats of the railway car- 
riage compartment, and were soon rocked to 
sleep by the jostle and rolling of the train. 
We had decided that it might be best to stop 
off at Igatpuri, a hill station eighty-five 
miles inland from Bombay. There were 
many Christians in that town, some of whom 
we knew. Besides, there was plenty of 
water there, and a good place for baptizing. 



66 Fruit from the Jungle 

After the strain and suspense of the previous 
day, it would be a delightful change to meet 
Christian friends and breathe a clearer at- 
mosphere. 

At six o'clock in the morning, after being 
on the train about eight hours, we arrived 
at our station. As we had our own lunch 
with us, we decided to wash our faces in the 
station, and then go to the home of some 
friends, and tell them the object of our 
visit. 

THANKING GOD IN THE RAILWAY STATION 

Ramana was so delighted with the plan, 
that he almost forgot himself, and began to 
laugh with delight. We knelt on the stone 
floor of the waiting room, and in prayer 
asked God to lead and bless us that day. 

The station servants looked on in curiosity, 
concluding, of course, that we were Chris- 
tians, and only following out our custom. 
As soon as we thought it proper, we went to 
the preacher's house. The native preachers 
were called, and the news of our visit and 
plans spread very rapidly. 

Fearing that the Hindus of the town might 
try to make trouble, we decided to have the 
baptismal service at seven o'clock that eve- 




(67) 



68 Fruit from the Jungle 

ning. A little group of believers accom- 
panied us to the beautiful mountain lake 
where the meeting was to be held. 

THE BAPTISM 

A few Hindus who had seen us baptize 
at that very place once before also joined 
the company. We have always made such 
a time an occasion for clearly reading the 
word of God on repentance and baptism, 
also for saying a few words to those as- 
sembled as to their personal obligations to 
God. This we did at this time, then sang 
some hymns, and offered fervent prayers 
for God's blessing on the candidate, and on 
all the work of the gospel in that great and 
needy country. 

Then came a part of the service which is 
seldom if ever seen in other lands. First 
asking the candidate to say a few words by 
way of personal testimony, and of his de- 
sire to follow Christ in baptism, I took out 
of my pocket a small pair of scissors, and 
proceeded to cut off the sacred Brahmanical 
thread, and the shandi, or sacred lock of 
hair on top of his head. To me this is 
delightful task, for it means that the last 
sign of Hinduism is gone. Then, while 






Saved After Ten Years 69 

hymn was sung, we walked together down 
into the water, and I immersed him, in the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of 
the Holy Ghost. We had been battling 
against the powers of darkness for ten years 
for that one soul; and now that he had 
publicly renounced the world, and followed 
Christ in baptism, words could not express 
our joy. 

THE PRAYER ANSWERED 

When Ramana was baptized, we changed 
his heathen name to Ralph. Knowing that 
for the lad to return home immediately 
would probably not be safe, we made a short 
visit in Bombay, then returned to Igatpuri, 
where a good sister opened her home to 
Ralph, and arrangements were made for 
him to study and rest. During our visit in 
Bombay, a sister who had a temperance hotel 
told me that she had with her a poor mother 
with a little boy who needed a home, and 
asked if I would take charge of them. See- 
ing in this call the answer to my prayer, I 
gladly answered, "Yes, of course." 

While at the hill station, our young con- 
vert was constantly gathering little groups 
about him, and expounding the Scriptures 



70 Fruit from the Jungle 

to them, and telling them of his faith in 
Christ. In fact, he put many of the older 
Christians to shame in his enthusiasm and 
ardor for the truth. This is often the case. 
As we become used to the gospel, it fails to 
grip our hearts as it should. 

In a few days, I returned to my friends 
and duties. Before I arrived, the news of 
Ramana's baptism had spread by letter, and 
so the way was prepared for my reception. 
I had not been at home long before his old 
mother came to tell me just what she thought 
of her son and of our treatment of him, and 
to express the hatred in her heart. I listened 
patiently for a while, and then said I had 
duties to attend to, and must say a final 
"Salaam." Thereupon she took her leave, 
apparently convinced that her efforts were 
fruitless, and we went on with our regular 
work as if nothing had happened. 

Still the undertone of the town's talk con- 
vinced us that the whole Hindu community 
was stirred. One of their own schoolboys 
had actually become a Christian, and they 
had not been able to prevent it. Not only 
so, but for years they had seen us sowing 
the seed on all sides early and late, in their 



Saved After Ten Years 71 

public markets, in our day schools, sewing 
classes, and medical dispensary. The influ- 
ence of the Christian religion was beyond 
their control. 

THE TESTING TIME 

At the end of a month, Ralph came home. 
He had bought new dresses in Bombay for 
both mother and sister, hoping in this way 
to convince them that he still cared for them 
as before. They accepted these presents; 
but when he told them he had been baptized, 
and when they saw that his hair had been 
cut off, they wept bitterly, and the words 
they uttered were strange words — such as 
only a Hindu can utter. 

The testing time for our boy now came. 
He was informed that he must not eat with 
the rest of the family; that he could not 
use their dishes nor cups. In fact, he would 
defile the whole family and all his caste 
people in that town, if he ate under their 
roof. So he came to the mission house, and 
boarded with his friend Lucas. 

For some time, Ralph remained at the 
mission, taking an active part in all the work, 
but not going into the market place to teach. 
His people frequently came to see him, and 



72 Fruit from the Jungle 

his younger brother became so interested that 
we all felt that he might follow his example. 
One night, we had a special service, which 
lasted till a late hour. Several Hindus 
were present, and seemed deeply impressed 
with what they saw and heard. Imagine 
our surprise the next morning when one 
came quickly to tell us that Ralph and all 
his things were gone! His room was empty, 
and the door wide open! We could scarcely 
believe the report, and went to see if it 
was so. Yes, it was too true; and no one 
had heard a word or knew a thing about 
his departure. What had become of the lad? 
Had we been too careless, after all our 
trouble? We began to chide ourselves, and 
think that perhaps we had not been cautious 
enough. Had he recanted, and given up 
the Saviour under the pressure of trial and 
family persuasion? 

CAST OUT 

Inquiries were made, and we learned that 
Ralph was not in the village. Where could 
he be? We made up our minds that the 
Hindus were desperate lest this young Chris- 
tian's influence should spread and draw many 
others after him. We knew that his people 






Saved After Ten Years 73 

had planned a marriage for him; but now 
their plans must come to naught if the facts 
were known. The parents of the Hindu girl 
intended for Ramana's wife would never 
consent to their daughter's having a despised 
Christian for her husband. Who ever heard 
of such an awful calamity in India ! Through 
the tactics of an old woman who served at 
the mission, we learned that Ramana had 
gone to the place where the intended bride 
lived. We believed the report, but know- 
ing nothing of his motives, could only pray, 
and try to be as patient as possible. We 
wanted Ralph to have a Christian wife, and 
had already promised to get one for him, 
even before he was baptized. Parents in 
India always look after such matters; so it 
falls to the lot of missionaries to act as foster 
parents in this respect. 

One day we were told that Ralph's peo- 
ple hoped to get him back into caste, and 
that they could do it by new decrees recently 
passed among Hindus, in order to offset 
the work of the Christian missionaries. Be 
that as it might, we felt sure that Ramana 
would never consent to return to Hinduism. 
We knew that he must be restrained in some 
way, and believed that sometime we should 



74 Fruit from the Jungle 

be able to get the facts in the case. It would 
not be wise to attempt to visit him at such 
a time. It was a comfort to know that the 
Hindus had not killed him; and we did not 
care to enrage them, lest they in revenge 
should take his life. 

A VISIT BY NIGHT 

After several weeks of absence from home, 
it was said that Ralph was at home again, 
and that he had again become a Hindu. We 
did not believe this report, although many 
of our native Christians gave credence to it. 
Days of suspense passed, and not a word 
of news came. Some said they saw Ralph's 
face as they passed the home of his people; 
but these whisperings died down, and no 
one said a word about the matter. Still we 
did not cease to pray that God would de- 
liver Ralph from the devil's grasp. 

About two o'clock one night, I heard a 
gentle tap on my window not far from the 
head of my bed, followed by the words: 
"Papa! Papa! It is I. May I come in?" 
I knew the voice, and the plaintive tones ap- 
pealed to my heart. Running to the back 
door, I pulled the bolt, and my long absent 
boy Ralph fell into my arms. We both 



Saved After Ten Years 75 

wept, and in hushed tones began to plan 
and get at the facts. He had but a doihie, 
or loin cloth, on his body, and a goat's hair 
blanket over his head. I was stunned as I 
learned of the case. He said, "Papa, pray 
with me, please;" and this I did. 

Then he said: "I am a prisoner, kept in 
a little room all alone, and sleep on the 
ground on this blanket. I jumped out over 
the wall; and now I must return, or they 
may kill me. I am a Christian still, and 
some day I shall be free. At present, it is 
best that I suffer. I will come again when 
I can." 

I accompanied Ralph to the gateway, saw 
him wrap himself in the goat's hair blanket 
to protect himself from detection, watched 
him as he disappeared into the darkness of 
the night, and followed him in thought across 
the grass fields, and over the wall into his 
little prison. 

"purified" 

This is the story Ralph told me that night: 
"The evening when we had the special meet- 
ing at which several Hindus were present, 
they did not leave the place until a late 
hour; and when they did, it was to take me, 



76 Fruit from the Jungle 

with all my things, put me in a cart, and 
hasten over and down the mountain side as 
fast as they could, then to the railway sta- 
tion and on to Amaroti. My people had to 
pay one hundred dollars [a very large sum 
for poor people in India] to keep in caste 
themselves. They were regarded as defiled 
for harboring a son who had become a Chris- 
tian. Not only so, but they have purified 
me according to their custom, and taken me 
back into caste, and now they regard me as 
a Hindu again. Of course, I am not. I 
am just as much a Christian now as I was 
before, and they will know it some day." 

"What did they do to 'purify' you, as 
they say?" I asked. 

"Well, papa, they called all our caste peo- 
ple of that town together, among whom were 
the parents and relatives of the girl they 
intended me to marry. Then they* had a 
barber come and shave me all over from 
head to foot. It was an awful process. 
Then they made a big fire of cornstalks, and 
made me run through that fire. Then they 
gave me a bath, after which they put all my 
clothes in the fire and destroyed them, and 
supplied me with new garments. They had 
brought flour, and quantities of other food, 



Saved After Ten Years 77 

all prepared. By and by all present sat 
down, and I had to serve them to show them 
that I was clean, and that they could eat 
from my hands and from the hands of my 
people. They forced me to obey; and what 
could I do in all that crowd of people? But 
some day it will all be over, and they will 
see how useless was all this ceremony." 

PRAYER AND MEDITATION 

In this experience of Ralph's, you will get 
a glimpse of what some must go through 
in order to serve Christ Jesus our Lord. 
From that night, I felt sure that Ralph 
would never recant; but as long as he had 
no permanent residence in any other town, 
it was best to be silent and suffer as a Chris- 
tian. It had taken years to lay the founda- 
tion for the faith of this one young man, 
and we did not believe that it could be 
easily overthrown. 

After that first visit, Ralph often called 
in the darkness of the midnight hours to see 
me, and I always arose and welcomed him. 
Each time, he had a new story to relate. He 
was not permitted to read the Bible or any 
of our literature, so he spent most of his 
time in prayer and meditation. They still 



78 Fruit from the Jungle 

kept him shut up at night, and did not al- 
low him to leave the house alone during the 
day. Little by little, however, he regained 
his accustomed liberty, and by and by came 
to see us openly, even in the daytime. After 
a while, he agreed to teach a school for us, 
but said he must go back and forth. 

A NEW DOOR OPENED 

Finally we moved from that town, and 
so a new door opened for Ralph. He went 
with us, and began to preach the gospel 
with other men. Not long after this, he 
became acquainted with Bargoo Bai, a young 
woman who had been trained in a Methodist 
mission school; and of their own choice, they 
became engaged and were married. By this 
act, the die was cast — the Hindus would 
never want him after that, and now he was 
a free man forever. All their efforts to re- 
instate Ralph had been in vain; he was a 
Christian in heart and faith. While he was 
young in experience, and made many mis- 
takes, yet he never denied Christ, and went 
through more and endured greater trials than 
any other native brother I have ever known 
in India. 



Saved After Ten Years 79 

For several years, Ralph and Bargoo Bai, 
with their little girl, have been laboring for 
the Master as best they can. I think they 
deserve our sympathy and earnest prayers. 
These two are some of the fruit from the 
jungles of India. 




(80) 



CHAPTER IV 



Kasho — the Dreamer 



HREE of us missionaries had been 
assigned to open a new work in Jal- 
gaon (Firetown), in the Khandesh 
district, Bombay. This is a manu- 
facturing district, the large cotton 
factories giving employment to thousands 
of persons. 

Jalgaon is a stronghold of the devil. Idol 
worship is carried on in every street and 
on every corner, and money is freely spent 
for its maintenance. In fact, it is one of 
the most "religious" towns we have ever 
seen in India. (The more religious they 
are, the more wicked they are likely to be- 
come.) One has appropriately said of these 
people, "They live religiously, bathe reli- 
giously, eat religiously, and sin religiously." 
A small stone house of four rooms was 
rented for us to live in, and a Mohammedan 
boy was employed as cook. Thus provided 
with shelter and food, we set to work on 
the native language. Though our house was 
situated in a very public and noisy place, 
and its low ceilings in that torrid atmosphere 

(81) 



82 Fruit from the Jungle 

seemed designed to bake our heads, quiet by 
night or comfort by day thus being equally 
out of the question, still we thanked God 
for the privilege of living there and work- 
ing for Him. 

In opening a new work, it is always a great 
help and pleasure to have a few sample na- 
tive Christians, so to speak, to stand by and 
testify to the truth preached. Often we 
wished we had one converted native to speak 
in his own familiar way of Christ, but we 
had no such assistance; the gospel had never 
been preached in Jalgaon, neither could we 
find one soul there who had ever heard of 
Christ. In spite of all discouragements, 
we took pains to gain as many friends as 
possible among the people, and succeeded in 
establishing several small schools for their 
children. The mission school is the most 
practical method of reaching the heart of 
India. 

Daily, too, we prayed that some might be- 
lieve; that we might find, in that dark place, 
even one into whose heart the light of the 
gospel had shone. 

About four o'clock one afternoon, we heard 
a rap at the door, and looking up, saw a 
bright-faced, barefooted boy about fifteen 



Kasho — the Dreamer 83 

years old. He wore a red cap, a white 
shirt, and a dothie, or loin cloth. We greeted 
each other with the beautiful Eastern salu- 
tation,- "Salaam." I asked his name, and he 
said, "Kasho." 

"Who are you?" I asked. 

"Me Christe arha" ("I am a Christian"), 
he replied. 

Indeed we were glad to hear a native say 
that in Jalgaon. We welcomed Kasho into 
our home; and he sat down cross-legged on 
a mat, and told us his story. 

Kasho was born in Shegaon, Central In- 
dia. His people were well-to-do farmers, 
deshmook by caste. He had several brothers 
and one sister. His parents had taught him 
to worship daily Mahar-Dev, a rude stone 
idol found in nearly every village. For 
several years, Kasho knew of no other God; 
and at first, he had great respect for this 
painted stone — in fact, he was really afraid 
of it. His mother told him that if at any 
time he offended this family god, some great 
calamity would surely overtake him. Con- 
sequently, for several years, he paid honest 
homage to this heathen deity, and often re- 
turned from his worship with a feeling of 
satisfaction that all would go well with him. 



84 Fruit from the Jungle 

As Kasho grew older, doubts arose in his 
mind as to the power of this huge stone to do 
him either good or ill. Thousands of men 
keep up the form of idol worship, when 
they have no faith in their idols. We have 
frequently conversed with such. Not know- 
ing of the true God, and His Son Jesus 
Christ, they live and die carrying on a form 
of worship that can never save from sin. 

Kasho finally concluded that it was too 
much trouble to make daily trips to the vil- 
lage temple to worship a lifeless stone, and 
little by little he mustered courage to prove 
Mahar-Dev. One day, filling his lota (brass 
cup) with water, he sauntered off to the 
temple. There, observing that he was quite 
alone, he made a big lump of mud, and 
threw it all over the sacred image; then, half 
frightened, he ran home. For a while, he 
was fearful lest he should become sick, or 
some calamity should befall him. The head 
man of the village sought for the offender, 
but failed to find him. 

When Kasho saw that he was as well as 
usual, his first doubts of Mahar-Dev were 
confirmed, his faith in idolatry was shaken, 
and in his own mind he believed it false. 
Still he knew of nothing better, for Chris- 



Kasho — the Dreamer' 85 

tians had not told the good news in those 
parts; so, though his heart was not in it, he 
continued the form of worship. 

About this time, a young friend invited 
Kasho to accompany him to a jathra, or 
fair. A native fair is a curious place indeed; 
and like all such gatherings, it possesses great 
charms for a boy in his teens. In one way, 
a jathra is a sort of native camp meeting, 
several dirty priests conducting a service of 
worship in honor of some chosen idol. This 
may last for one day, or for many days, or 
even for months. Grasping men, eager to 
obtain the loose cash of the people, frequent 
these places, and side shows and all sorts of 
gambling are carried on. 

On such occasions, too, the gospel heralds 
seek to proclaim their message among the 
masses, singing and preaching the good news, 
selling books, Bibles, and Scripture por- 
tions, and scattering leaflets. Medical mis- 
sionaries also find all the work they can 
do; for many sick folks manage to get to 
the jathra in hope of recovery. 

While at a fair of this kind, Kasho for the 
first time saw a native Christian preacher. 
He had never heard of Christ before, and 
he listened to the stranger with earnest at- 



86 Fruit from the Jungle 

tention. Somehow his thoughts went back 
to the village idol and to his past doubts. 

The speaker, after his address, distributed 
leaflets to his hearers. That is the fruit of 
love and generosity, a thing seldom if ever 
seen among the heathen. A real Christian 
will spend and be spent for Christ, and yearns 
over others, that they may know of Jesus. 

Kasho took a leaflet. He could not read 
well, but this simple story was so fascinating 
that he persevered till he had read it all. It 
made a deep impression on him. As he threw 
himself on his mat on the ground to sleep 
that night, he carefully placed his leaflet un- 
der his head for safety, and, with his mind 
full of the new things he had heard, fell 
asleep. 

Suddenly he awoke. He had dreamed 
that a tall, white-faced person, of radiant 
countenance, and clad in glistening garments, 
stood before him, smiled gently upon him, 
and said, "Marza marga yae" ("Follow 
me"). That gracious, tender smile touched 
the lad, and he wept as if his heart would 
break. Only a moment had the radiant 
vision stayed, then vanished. 

This dream produced such a profound im- 
pression upon Kasho that he could scarcely 



Kasho — the Dreamer 87 

sleep for joy the rest of that night. He 
felt sure that both the preacher and the 
leaflet had described the person of his dream. 
The following day, Kasho heard more of 
Christ through the evangelist, and was thrilled 
with joyful hope. He resolved to obey the 
voice, "Follow me," and finally requested 
the preacher to take him to his home and 
teach him more. At this time, he literally 
forsook father, mother, brother, sister, all, to 
follow Jesus. 

A pupil now in Christ's school, he opened 
his whole heart to the truth, believed, and 
was saved through grace. Then he publicly 
confessed Christ in baptism and personal 
testimony, turning his back upon all the 
world for his new-found Friend and Saviour, 
following his Master in the path of obedience 
and service, and remaining among Chris- 
tians until he was well established in the 
faith. 

When Kasho called at our door, he was 
the only native Christian in town. He was 
working in a cotton mill, and living by him- 
self in one small room, paying sixteen cents 
a month for rent, and doing his own cook- 
ing and washing. Unable to find any other 
Christians in Jalgaon, he had earnestly 



88 Fruit from the Jungle 

prayed for three months that God would 
send workers there. "I prayed," he said, 
"and God heard, and sent you here." We 
did not doubt his assertion. He believed in 
the promise, "Ask, and ye shall receive;" and 
we rejoiced that when God called us in the 
homeland, we had obeyed. Our hearts were 
made happy to meet this new brother of 
ours. 

For some time, Kasho continued in the 
mill, while we tested him, and found that 
he was a real Christian. 

As we watched scores of naked, needy 
children in the streets and markets of Jal- 
gaon, we longed to gather them for instruc- 
tion in letters and the truth of God. Kasho 
helped us call them in; and when we had a 
large room full, they were organized into a 
mission school. They quickly learned the 
Lord's Prayer, Christian songs, and the plan 
of salvation. He frequently assisted in the 
preaching services in the markets and vil- 
lages, and was always ready to sing, pray, 
and testify how wonderfully God had saved 
him. His life was as consistent as any we 
have ever seen in Christian countries. 

My friends, here is fruit for Christ, picked 
from the jungles of heathenism. Who can 



Kasho — the Dreamer 89 

compute the gain in the salvation of one 
such soul? Through his life and labors, 
others accepted Christ at Jalgaon. The last 
reports from Kasho showed that he was 
still pressing on in the narrow way, teach- 
ing in a mission school, and acting the part 
of a true missionary to his own people. 

Let us earnestly pray God to raise up 
thousands of such to assist in establishing 
His kingdom in heathen lands. 



CHAPTER V 




Anand Rao 

HILE we were living at Jalgaon, a 
young man clad in simple attire, and 
carrying a staff and a small parcel, 
called at the mission house one day, 
and giving his name as Anand Rao, 
requested the privilege of talking with the 
missionaries. We invited him to remain a 
few days to study the Scripture with us, 
and to this he gladly consented. By caste, 
this man was a warrior, or Rajput. 

Our first impressions of Anand Rao were 
very favorable. He spoke several languages, 
English among them, was self-possessed, and 
showed, by his intelligent conversation on 
different topics, that he possessed an excel- 
lent education. His use of English was so 
fluent that we did not speak with him in 
Marathi, it being a real pleasure to us to 
use our mother tongue. 

Anand Rao seemed like a friend. He told 
us that he had for some time made a study 
of Christianity, and had finally decided to 
accept it. He appeared to have saving faith 
in Jesus Christ, and this was the absorbing 

(90) 



Anand Rao 



91 



topic of conversation between us. As we 
became acquainted, we found that he knew 
the Marathi language so much better than we 
did that it would be profitable to engage 
his services in some translating work we had 




Leon, One of Our Marathi S. 
D. A. Men 



Virgil, One of Our Marathi 
Colporteurs 



on hand. This we did, and he proved a 
valuable helper. His striking personality 
and congenial manners won our hearts, and 
we began to cherish bright hopes of his full 
conversion. Few of our converts in India 



92 Fruit from the Jungle 

are from the upper classes; consequently 
they have not the personal influence that a 
man of this sort would have. For this reason, 
and because of our love for him, we coveted 
this man for the cause of truth and right- 
eousness. 

Anand Rao always attended our family 
worship and cheerfully took part in it. He 
seemed like a "babe in Christ," just learning 
the language of the kingdom, and expressed 
a desire to delve into the deeper truths of 
the Bible and Christian experience. 

WORKING FOR OTHERS 

Anand Rao had been with us but a short 
time when he began to testify boldly for 
Christ. His arguments were strong, and 
his faith was unshaken. Soon he began to 
attract special attention; and night after 
night, he talked for hours to a group of 
young men, who apparently came to over- 
throw his faith. However, he always silenced 
his antagonists, and overcame all their argu- 
ments by the simple use of the Scriptures. 
His countrymen recognized his warrior spirit 
in his manner as well as his modes of expres- 
sion. His spirit was humble, yet he was as 
firm as a rock. 



Anand Rao 93 

Whenever this son of India testified of 
his love for Christ and the gospel, his enemies 
were silenced and abashed. They had no 
such zeal and devotion for their false system 
of religion, neither did they find pleasure and 
peace in the worship of dumb gods. 

The news of the conversion of Anand Rao 
to Christianity soon spread from Jalgaon at 
a rapid pace. To us the experience was in- 
tensely interesting, and nothing short of the 
wonderful working of the Spirit of the true 
God. We hoped for great things from the 
life and labors of this noble young man. 

But a silent voice seemed to say to us, 
"Keep a careful watch of him, lest the Hin- 
dus molest him." We had known of the 
conversion of several high-caste men in In- 
dia, and some of them had not been able 
to resist the pressure brought to bear against 
them by their Hindu friends. You remem- 
ber that Paul the apostle was compelled 
to leave his own country after his conver- 
sion, and live in seclusion for some time, 
both for protection from those who would 
have killed him, and for the opportunity to 
become more fully established in the faith. 
In heathen lands, the enmity against the 



94 Fruit jrom the Jungle 

gospel is equally strong, and the danger is 
great. 

On a certain Friday, Anand attended serv- 
ice as usual, and seemed happy and free. 
We had arranged to baptize him the follow- 
ing week, and were aware that the feeling 
against him in the town was stronger than 
ever. In fact, we felt the power of the evil 
one in the very atmosphere as we passed 
through the streets. The lowering faces of 
some whom we met spoke to us, as plainly 
as words, of the hatred in their hearts. Many 
greeted us pleasantly, and smiled when our 
efforts seemed fruitless; but as surely as 
there were evidences of our success, or addi- 
tions to our converts, their attitude toward 
us was changed. 

Two days before Anand was to receive 
Christian baptism, he went for his usual 
afternoon outing, taking with him nothing 
but his lota (brass cup), not even his sandals. 
Apparently he did not intend to take a long 
stroll. We missed him at nightfall, and be- 
gan to search for him; but he was nowhere 
to be found. We knocked on his door, and 
finally went into his room. There were his 
books, Bible, and clothing. But the man 
— where could he be? We made careful 



Anand Rao 95 

inquiries of the neighbors, but no one had 
seen him; every mouth was silent. Anand 
had suddenly disappeared, and we could find 
no trace of him whatever. We might have 
notified the police; but what use to call for 
them to make a search in such a case! Their 
interest would be to conceal his fate from 
us. What could we do? We could only 
pray, and leave the matter with the One who 
sees and knows all things. 

While we were searching for Anand, he 
may have been lying under some tree in the 
jungle, a martyr to his new-found faith. 
But if he was killed, as seems quite probable, 
we are sure he sleeps in Jesus, and will come 
forth from his unknown grave when Christ 
shall gather His jewels. 

NO INQUIRIES 

As time passed, we were much impressed 
with the fact that not one person inquired 
about the sudden departure of Anand, and 
as suddenly did the young men who had 
visited the mission house to converse with 
him cease to come. Had Anand been a low- 
caste man, weak and ignorant, he would 
without doubt be found in the ranks of the 
church to-day. 



96 Fruit from the Jungle 

This tragedy gives a hint of what heathen- 
ism is in practical life, especially when a 
high-caste man is converted. It costs all 
a man has, yea, even his life, to follow Christ 
in some lands. Such instances should nerve 
our hearts for the battle, and call forth ar- 
dent petitions for the salvation of the great 
heathen world. 



CHAPTER VI 




The Epistle of John 

N 1894, a missionary friend of mine 
established an orphanage for English- 
speaking children in Central India. 
After a while, he found that he had 
^ a larger work there than he was able 
to support; still, when the famine of 1896 
came on, he was impressed to receive a 
number of purely native children, who could 
speak only the vernacular. He wrote to 
me, hoping that I might relieve him of some 
of his famine boys; and I replied that I 
would receive all he cared to send. Does 
it not seem strange that boys and girls are 
so plentiful in heathen lands that they are 
given away? Yet this is frequently the case. 

TRAVELING WITH SEVENTEEN ORPHANS 

At the time referred to, I took seventeen 
boys from this overcrowded orphanage. Such 
a dilapidated lot of human beings you never 
saw. Many of them had sore eyes, full of 
pus. Their hair was all crusted over with 
sores, and most of them were so thin and 
weak they could scarcely walk. They had 

(97) 



98 Fruit from the Jungle 

not been at the first mission long before we 
took them; hence their sad condition. At 
first, we wondered if some of them would 
ever recover, even with the best of care and 
treatments. The question came to us in the 
words of the prophet, "Can these bones live?" 
But "with God all things are possible," and 
"all things are possible to him that believeth." 
With these thoughts to encourage us, we 
undertook our work, determined to do our 
best for these Hindu lads. 

How the people stared and wondered as 
we led this motley crowd of seventeen fam- 
ished youths into the railway station! Mis- 
sionaries are always collecting children from 
various conditions in life; but seldom do 
they get such a group as I had that day. 

The European train guard — or conductor, 
as we in America call this official — was kind 
to us, giving us a good-sized compartment 
to ourselves. The boys made no objections 
to going with me, an utter stranger; in fact, 
they seemed glad to go, and really wanted 
a place to call home. This I assured them 
they would have, with father, mother, and 
many friends. Perhaps, too, the prospect 
of the trip quieted their fears. Our station 
was in the mountains, amid bowlders and 




John Wesley Wood Mrs. John Wesley Wood 

Little Bobbie Paul Wood 

Who Was Branded 

with Hot Irons 



(99) 



100 Fruit from the Jungle 

wild forests, while these lads had always 
lived on the flat, dusty plains; so the thought 
of the long ride and the new scenes rather 
inspired them. Some of them tried to smile 
as we talked with them, but it was an ef- 
fort; their thin, emaciated faces seemed al- 
most to have lost the power of smiling. 

The largest boy in the group, though un- 
doubtedly a famine boy, did not seem so 
bad off as the others, and from the first, 
was round-faced. This lad, whom we after- 
ward called John, took charge of one of 
the smaller boys, who was hardly able to 
walk; and another boy, whom we named 
Frank, helped another weak little fellow. 

It was almost noon when we boarded the 
train; and we reached our destination at 
three o'clock the next morning, having been 
on the train fifteen hours. We sat up all 
the way; and I assure you the boys were 
tired, sleepy, and cross when we arrived. 
But John was patient, and tried to help us 
all he could by caring for the smaller ones. 
I can hear him now as he called out, "Chidlo! 
Chullor ("Go on! Go on!") to the boys that 
night as we left the train and station. 

We soon climbed the short hill leading to 
the mission house, where friends were wait- 



The Epistle of John 101 

ing to welcome us. The boys' dormitory, 
consisting of two rooms, had been made as 
comfortable as possible for their coming; 
and after greeting our friends, I led the lads 
to their new quarters, and bade them sleep 
as long as they desired. I had determined 
to take such a rest myself, and thought they 
too might appreciate the privilege. 

JOHN GIVES HIS HEART TO JESUS 

For the present, we must leave sixteen 
of these boys, and tell you something of 
John. Several months after he came to our 
home, we had some special meetings, when 
most of these boys gave their hearts to Christ. 
Many of them would speak or pray, and 
were a help in our meetings; but John al- 
ways sat in one of the back seats, and never 
gave any particular indication of interest. 
One night, after the meeting was over, I 
called him aside, and said: "John, I feel 
bad about you. The other lads are accept- 
ing Christ, but you do not seem to care 
about Him. I think you are making a 
serious mistake." 

His heart melted completely at these words, 
and he assured me, with tears, that he did 
want to be a good boy, and would take 



102 Fruit from the Jungle 

the step the others had taken, and give his 
heart to Christ. How glad I was to pray 
with him that night! 

WANTED AN EASY JOB 

John was older than the other boys, so 
it frequently happened that he had more 
than his share of the work to do, while 
the younger boys were often at his side for 
help and comfort. One day, I took him to 
the vegetable market to help bring supplies 
home in a basket, while other boys were 
picking up stones near a well that had been 
blasted out. On the way to the market, 
John stepped close to my side, and said: 
"Sir, I want to make one request. I do 
not like hard work. Will you please let me 
always go to the market with you, and let 
the other boys do the hard work?" 

It was amusing, to say the least; but of 
course I did not accede to the lad's request. 
Though I could not but admire his honesty, 
I gently remonstrated with him for his dis- 
like of hard work; and after that, I was 
always careful to give him plenty to do, at 
the same time trying to encourage him in 
whatever would be helpful to him as a man. 
He was so faithful in the duties assigned 



The Epistle of John 103 

him, that finally we made him overseer among 
the boys in our absence; and we found that 
he insisted that each one do his work exactly 
right. He was not a talkative lad, like some 
of the others. Frequently those who talk 
most accomplish least. 

john's early childhood 

We always make it a point to learn all 
we can about the past lives of our people, 
as in this way we are better prepared to 
deal with the natives who come to us from 
heathenism. So, as John grew older, he 
gradually unfolded to me much of his past 
history. Few of those who read these pages 
will ever have the pleasure of talking to a 
Hindu youth about his past life, so I will 
tell you some of John's experiences. They 
will give you just a glimpse into the dark- 
ness of the Hindu faith; but they should stir 
our hearts to do greater things for these be- 
wildered, lost souls. 

When John was a little boy, he lived in 
a small village out in the jungles of Central 
India, and often herded cattle, goats, and 
sheep for the Parteil, or head man of the 
village. He was not a strong lad; and one 
day he fell quite sick, and his parents thought 



104 Fruit from the Jungle 

he might not recover. His poor old grand- 
mother was very fond of him; so she made 
a vow to her idols that if John should re- 
cover, she would make a sacrifice to them. 
I have already told you how pleased Kali 
(the black goddess) is with certain kinds of 
sacrifices. It may have been to this hor- 
rible creature that the terrorized old woman 
made her vow. 

The heathen have an idea that their gods 
become very angry with them, and that cer- 
tain things will appease their wrath. They 
seldom think of their sins, or of their need 
of a change of heart and life. At that 
time, John knew of his grandmother's vow, 
and, of course, thought it all right. He did 
not know of any other religion, and con- 
sequently believed that whatever his people 
did must be right. Children are not born 
heathen — they are made heathen by false 
precept and evil example. 

John had seldom if ever seen a European, 
and knew nothing of the God of the white 
man. Although his grandmother was a very 
superstitious old creature, still he was fond 
of her; for it is true, though we sometimes 
forget it, that the heathen have the same 



The Epistle of John 105 

natural affections and susceptibilities that 
more enlightened peoples have. 

After a time, John grew to be a strong, 
healthy lad, and had completely forgotten 
his grandmother's vow to her gods. Chil- 
dren do not usually think much about such 
things. One day, to his astonishment, the 
old woman called him into the little mud 
house in which they lived, and told him that 
she had decided to pay her vow to the idol. 
Then she took a knife, and made a small, 
round hole in each of John's wrists, squeezed 
the wounds, and gathered up the blood on 
cotton, to offer in sacrifice to the idol. I 
have seen the scars many times. 

It was not long till John became so faint 
and weak that the old woman was alarmed, 
and tied strings about his wrists to stop the 
flow of blood. But his condition was serious: 
a little more, and he would probably have 
bled to death. When his grandmother saw 
that he was sinking fast, she ran to a cow, — 
the cow is sacred to a Hindu, — quickly made 
a gash in its body, drew out a quantity of 
blood, and tried, in her stupid way, to in- 
ject cow's blood into his veins. Of course 
she failed. John was frail and weak for 



106 Fruit from the Jungle 

some time, and it was only with great care 
that he was restored to his former health. 

I could scarcely believe such a thing pos- 
sible; but the boy has related it so many 
times to me and others, that I cannot doubt 
his word. This is but a glimpse into the 
heathen influences and practices that sur- 
round the youth of India. 

Herding cattle was tiresome work, so one 
day John lay down in the road to sleep. 
After dark, an oxcart was driven along the 
road where he was sleeping, and one of the 
wheels passed over his legs, breaking both 
of them. He screamed in agony. The cart- 
man stopped, picked him up, placed him in 
the cart, and drove to the hospital. For a 
year, John was an invalid, and scarcely able 
to hobble about on sticks. During this last 
sad experience, he began to meditate upon 
the realities of life; for life had become to 
him a reality indeed. 

A HUMAN SACRIFICE 

John told of another strange incident that 
took place in his heathen village, and that 
evidently made a lasting impression on his 
mind. Heavy rainstorms frequently swept 
down the valiey in which this village stood, 




(107) 



108 Fruit from the Jungle 

doing much damage, and often carrying 
whole villages downstream. These houses 
are only made of mud and straw; so it would 
not take long, if the water rose, to over- 
throw many of them. 

On a certain day, the farmers had watched 
the heavy, dark clouds gathering in the dis- 
tance above the village. As nearly as they 
could tell, the storm was headed toward 
them. What should they do? The black 
clouds leading the storm had the appearance 
of a tornado; and for a while, everybody 
was greatly excited. Finally the people be- 
came desperate, and offered a reward of grain 
and money to the man who could appease 
the wrath of their gods and avert the on- 
coming storm. 

There was no time to waste, and whatever 
was done must be done quickly. One of the 
villagers, a barber by occupation and caste, 
perhaps more superstitious than some others, 
volunteered to accept the offer, and to avert 
the wrath of the gods in the tempest. The 
barber called his wife and little girl onto 
the flat roof of their mud house to get a 
better view of the situation, and to do obei- 
sance to their idols, which are frequently 
kept on the top of the house. They probably 



The Epistle of John 109 

took rice and coconuts to offer in worship, 
according to their custom. 

During their devotions, as the storm kept 
bearing down in their direction, they began 
beating their breasts, pulling their hair, etc. 
The gods must be very angry, thought they. 
What could they do? They had accepted 
the offer of a reward to stop the storm, and 
now they must not be defeated. In their 
frenzy, they took their little girl, the father 
holding one part of the child, and the mother 
the other, and with a corn knife they cut 
her body in two pieces to sacrifice to their 
dumb idols. Horrid gods and horrid be- 
lief! Murder to please the folly of men! 
Millions of lives have been sacrificed in the 
past in just this way. 

Strange to say, the storm passed to one 
side, and did not reach the village. Of 
course, the people declared that the human 
sacrifice caused it to pass by, and the barber 
received the money and the grain, and the 
heathen of the place became more confirmed 
than ever in their folly and superstition. 

John said that a very strange sensation 
came over him when the child was sacrificed 
in worship. He could not forget the im- 
pression made on his mind when he was but 



110 Fruit from the Jungle 

a small lad amid such awful surroundings. 
Were it not for the iron hand of the govern- 
ment, the Hindus would still offer human 
lives to their gods. 

With what curiosity John must have 
watched the people of another manner and 
another religion! But how glad he must 
have felt when he learned that they did not 
worship idols nor offer bloody sacrifices! 
After being with us for a few years, he had 
the pleasure of a trip to America to assist 
in meetings, and frequently related before 
large audiences his varied experiences. While 
here, he made many friends and did much 
good work. Afterward he married a Chris- 
tian girl, and for a number of years has 
had employment in a government office in 
India as a* clerk. He is the father of two 
sons. Can you imagine how different his 
present life would have been had he not 
providentially fallen into the hands of God's 
servants ? 



CHAPTER VII 




Snakes in India 

HEN talking on India, I am fre- 
quently requested to tell something 
about the animals and reptiles of 
that country. What is related in 
this chapter is largely based on per- 
sonal observation. One time when we were 
living in Central India, I was sitting in 
the office about midnight, at work on some 
Bible lessons. It was the time of the mon- 
soon rains — just the time for reptiles to 
seek a place of shelter from the chill and 
dampness outside. Several times I heard a 
strange noise above my head, and looked 
up, but saw nothing unusual. Then I heard 
a hissing in the transom window. I was 
now suspicious of danger, and could not 
rest till I had found what this strange noise 
meant; so I took the lamp and began a 
search. 

In a moment, I found in the window seat, 
only two feet above my head, a very poison- 
ous fellow about two feet long, and quickly 
smashed his head with my cane, grateful 
that I had discovered him before he had 

(Hi) 
8 



112 Fruit from the Jungle 

fallen on me. By the way, that is one 
reason why both ladies and gentlemen usu- 
ally carry canes wherever they go in India. 
There are so many snakes and other reptiles, 
so many dogs and wild animals, that it is 
wise to have some weapon of defense. 

IX HOUSE, TREE, AND FIELD 

Not feeling well one evening, I returned 
home early. My wife had been out that 
evening to visit a sick patient, and returned 
rather late. As she closed the outside door, 
suddenly an awful hissing was set up, and 
a scream fully awakened me from my 
slumbers. 

"Come quick! Quick!" Mrs. Wood called; 
and springing out of bed, I turned up the 
lamp in the corner, and ran toward the 
door. 

A large snake, which evidently had been 
dozing on the top of the double door, had 
been caught between its two leaves as the 
door was closed. Half of his body was 
outside, and the other half inside. Of course, 
he was angry in his intense agony. My 
wife held the door with her hand just a few 
inches beyond the reach of the poisonous 
creature. I never saw a snake strike at 




Snake Charmers Showing Their Tricks 

(113) 



114 Fruit from the Jungle 

any one as he did, but he could not get close 
enough to reach the hand that held the door. 
I seized a shoe for a "war club," and made 
short work of the reptile, and together we 
thanked God for deliverance. 

One afternoon, I walked from the mission 
bungalow to the public road. Near the front 
gate stood a large shade tree. Its leaves had 
been well washed from all dust by recent 
rains, and, being young and tender, were a 
bright green. Just as I was about to open 
the gate of the compound, I saw a snake 
as green as the leaves on the tree, and nearly 
six feet long. He had twisted his tail about 
one of the limbs, and hung there, ready to 
strike at anything that came in his way. I 
got a long pole and soon disposed of him. 
This was a whip snake, which usually hangs 
from the limbs of trees and strikes at his 
prey. 

One Sunday afternoon, when I was ready 
to go to the bazaar for our regular preach- 
ing service, I called our native helpers, and 
started on ahead, expecting the others to 
follow. Just then our Bible woman ran to 
me to say that her little boy had been bitten 
by a snake in the yard, and that he was 
suffering great pain. We used what reme- 



Snakes in India 115 

dies we had to counteract poison, and prayed 
for the little fellow. He recovered; but for 
a number of days, he was dull and stupid, 
and his body was badly swollen. 

On another occasion, I went for a walk 
with two young men. It was just about 
sundown. We had not gone far when a 
huge cobra crossed the road in front of us, 
and made for the fields, we after him. There 
were no stones at hand, only lumps of dry 
earth. We threw those, but of course they 
only enraged him. Several times he turned, 
raised his head, and darted toward us; but 
we managed to keep at a safe distance. Then 
a man with a cartload of wood came along; 
so we quickly got a long stick and threw it 
at the snake, which was making for a large 
banyan tree in the middle of the field. Just 
as he reached the tree, he turned and leaped 
after us; but we stood our ground, and 
threw the club at him until a blow wounded 
and crippled him, and we could come near 
enough to kill him. 

The cobra, a very common pest in India, 
is the most poisonous of all snakes. It has 
on the back of its neck a mark like the letter 
V, and has a way of spreading out its body 
near the neck in an oval shape. This is called 



116 Fruit from the Jungle 

its hood. When about to strike, it coils up 
the end of its tail as a support, and leaps 
forward. In spite of its deadly character, 
the cobra is regarded as sacred. The super- 
stitious Hindus worship it and feed it on 
milk and sugar. No wonder there are so 
many of these creatures still in existence, in 
spite of the fact that the government offers 
a substantial reward for every cobra that 
is killed. 

"nag panch me" 

During the famine of 1900, a native priest 
had a dream that if he would pull down the 
house in which he was sleeping, and dig for 
a well in that very spot, he would find not 
only water, but plenty of it. Accordingly 
the house was pulled down, a well was dug, 
and, strangely enough, water was found. 
But what pleased the native people as much 
as the water was that in the process of 
digging the well, a pair of cobras were found 
in their nest. Doubtless some day that well 
will be regarded as a very holy spot because 
of the presence of the cobras. 

The snake is one of the thirty-three million 
gods of the Hindus, and its worship is a form 
of devil worship. A special snake feast is 



Snakes in India 



117 



held on a day called Nag panch me. Many 
natives have been killed while worshiping 
these creatures. May God speed the day 
when India shall be free from Satan's power. 

THE ROPE THAT WAS A SNAKE 

One evening, our three children had been 
playing for an hour or so on the board 




A Boa Constrictor, Which 
Crushes the Life Out of Its 
Victim Before Swallowing It 




where we stood for shower baths in the bath- 
room. By and by they became tired of 
their toys, and left them there. One of our 
orphan girls, Mary by name, passed the 
open bathroom door for the purpose of water- 
ing some plants near by. Suddenly she 
ran to my wife, and exclaimed, "Oh, mamma, 



118 Fruit from the Jungle 

sarp, sarp! Narg, narg I" (Sarp is "snake," 
and narg means "cobra.") My wife re- 
plied, "Oh, no! It's only a rope. I saw 
it to-dajr." But Mary looked again, and 
insisted that it truly was a cobra. Investi- 
gation proved that a large cobra was coiled 
up under the bath board, just where the 
three children had spent an hour or so in 
play. A native was called, and soon he dis- 
patched the monster with a stout club. 

A SNAKE IN HIS HAT 

At another time, we were stopping at one 
of the mission stations while the missionary 
in charge was absent on a tour among the 
villages. One day, he wrote us that early 
in the morning, he had placed a large "solar 
hat" on his head to protect him from the 
sun, and he had been out all the forenoon 
preaching and distributing tracts. At about 
eleven o'clock, he went into his tent, and sat 
down to wait for breakfast. Once or twice 
he scratched his head rather unconsciously; 
then he felt impressed to take his hat off 
and look inside. There in the top of it was 
a long, slender snake, coiled around inside 
the lining. Much to his satisfaction, and 
not without a due sense of God's protecting 



Snakes in India 119 

care, he succeeded in pulling it out and kill- 
ing it without harm to himself. 

This same gentleman told me of an official 
who was once awakened in the night by a 
sense of weight on his chest, and called to a 
manservant who slept on the veranda, just 
outside his door. The servant sprang into 
the room, and turned up the light, which 
was burning low on the dresser, just in time 
to see a long black cobra glide off his master's 
chest onto the bed and then to the floor. 
The call, the noise, and the light aroused the 
creature, and he sought safer quarters. His 
flight was arrested by a shot from a gun. 
It was the middle of the cold season; and 
the snake, seeking a dry, warm place, found 
on the officer's bedclothes and chest one that 
just suited him. Fortunately the unusual 
weight aroused the man in time. 

ONE SNAKE SWALLOWING ANOTHER 

One morning, a friend of mine saw a 
curious sight. One cobra had nearly swal- 
lowed another, much larger than himself, 
and in the cannibalistic act, had been caught 
and slain. It was a cobra eating cobra. 

I have seen as many as six or eight snakes 
in the course of a short walk. One day, I 



120 Fruit from, the Jungle 

wanted a drink from the black water jar in 
which our drinking Mater was kept in the 
breeze on the front veranda. I took a glass- 
ful from the jar, and stood there drinking, 
when, to my amazement, Mr. Snake poked 
up his black head from the mouth of the 
jar from which I had just filled my glass. 
I called the native cook to see, and he took 
up the jar, and let it fall with a crash, when 
out fell a snake over five feet long. 

A COBRA AT A FUNERAL 

On the occasion of the death of one of 
our orphan boys during the hot season, about 
forty native Christians accompanied us to 
the jungles for the burial service. It was 
about 11 a. m. The grave was ready, and 
the service was nearly over, the funeral group 
sitting quietly at one side. I stood at one 
end of the grave, looking toward the people. 
In the midst of this solemn gathering, im- 
agine my consternation to hear Paul, one 
of the native boys, scream, "Sarpl Sarp!" 
and to see a huge cobra glide out under 
the boy's legs, make straight for the grave, 
and fall in! For a moment, it was quiet; 
then as we tried to kill it, it jumped, or 
rather danced, on its tail from one end of 




(121) 



122 Fruit from the Jungle 

the grave to the other. At last, with one 
desperate leap, it landed outside. The fu- 
neral was forgotten for a few moments, and 
a crowd with pick, hoe, and ax pursued and 
killed the snake. 

The natives at the funeral had a strange 
superstition about this cobra. They declared 
that it was a representation of Satan; that 
the snake was born at the time this boy 
who had died was born; and now both must 
die at the same time. 

We knew of one native woman who had 
an enemy on whom she sought revenge. She 
took the skin of a poisonous snake, dried it 
well, pulverized it, mixed it in flour, and 
made bread of the flour. Then she made a 
feast, and called her enemy, pretending she 
wanted to be at peace. The enemy ate 
the bread, and soon died in great pain. Her 
body was swollen to an enormous size, and 
turned a horrid black. 

It is a common thing to find snakes in 
our homes. Many have been killed in my 
own. When a high-caste native discovers 
a snake in his house, he does not destroy it, 
but very carefully entraps it, as we catch 
mice and rats, then lets it loose in the open 
fields, whence it often returns to the haunts 



Snakes in India 123 

of men, perhaps to do much harm. Some 
of the smaller snakes, such as the "carpet 
snake," are very poisonous, and do a great 
deal of damage. There are also many non- 
venomous snakes of the Python variety, such 
as boa constrictors, anacondas, rock snakes, 
and others, often measuring twenty feet in 
length, which are a nuisance to the country. 
A certain class of men known as acrobats 
roam about the country with bags of cobras 
and other snakes. It is said that the fangs 
of these snakes are drawn, and the poison 
is extracted, making them harmless. But the 
sight of several of them rolling about in all 
directions makes a person shudder. I once 
saw one of these snake charmers pass a small 
snake up one nostril and down through his 
mouth and so out. Many other horribly 
repulsive things they do. 

VICTIMS OF THE JUNGLE 

The statistical reports of India say that 
thousands of persons die each year from 
the bites of reptiles. As long as these people 
remain heathen, they will worship and foster 
these creatures, which will continue to cause 
the death of thousands of their devotees. If 
India were Christianized, and this super- 



124 Fruit from the Jungle 

stition, with others, were done away, the 
snake would become largely a thing of the 
past. The following government report is 
amazing, to say the least: 

"The deaths caused by wild animals in 
India continue to reach a high total. The 
total reached in 1906 was 3,084 as against 
2,051 in 1905. Wolves are reported to have 
killed 178 persons in the United Provinces. 
Tigers killed a larger number of persons 
than in 1905 in Madras, Bombay, the United 
Provinces, and Burma, and steps have been 
taken for the destruction of man-eating tigers 
in these provinces. Elephants killed 18 per- 
sons in Bengal. The appalling number of 
deaths through snake-bite for 1906 was 32,- 
854, as against 21,797 in 1905." 
A later report gives the following: 
"Simla, October, 1913: Although the march 
of civilization may be gradually exterminat- 
ing the wild beasts of the forest, the loss of 
human life from the ravages of wild animals 
in India shows no signs of diminishing. 
Reports received from various local govern- 
ments and administrations show that 2,066 
persons were killed by wild animals in 
British India during the year 1912. Al- 
though this figure is somewhat in excess of 



Snakes in India 125 

that reported for 1911, it compares favorably 
with the statistics for each of the three 
preceding years. 

"Tigers as usual claimed the largest num- 
ber of victims, and the number of persons 
killed by them rose from 762 in 1911 to 885 
in 1912. Of these, no fewer than 396 per- 
sons were killed in Bihar and Orissa, all 
but 9 of whom were inhabitants of the Chota 
jSTagpur and Orissa divisions. It is notice- 
able that in the United Provinces, the num- 
ber of deaths caused by tigers rose from 
18 in 1910 to 36 in 1911 and to 71 in 1912. 
Of these 71 deaths, 61 occurred in two dis- 
tricts, Naini Tal and Almora. In the former 
district, a single man-eater is regarded as 
responsible for some 41 deaths; and although 
a special reward of 1,500 rupees ($500) had 
been offered for its destruction, it was still 
at large at the end of the year. 

"Leopards caused a total number of 261 
deaths against 253 in 1911, while the number 
of persons killed by wolves rose from 190 
to 255. Of the 255 deaths for which the 
latter animals were responsible, 197 occurred 
in Bihar and Orissa, mostly in the Hazari- 
bagh and Darbhanga districts. The total 
mortality due to snake-bite among human 



126 Fruit from the Jungle 

beings fell from 25,312 in 1911 to 21,461 in 
1912. Bihar and Orissa with 5,810, the 
United Provinces with 5,214, and Bengal 
with 4,471 deaths were the provinces which 
suffered most severely in this respect." 



CHAPTER VIII 




Casting Out Devils 

HE people of India believe in evil 
spirits, and that these take posses- 
sion of persons, animals, and places. 
Many cases of this kind have come 
under my own observation. It is too 
hot in India to preach in public places in 
the middle of the day; so mornings and 
evenings are usually the times the missionary 
may be found working among the people, 
telling them the grand old gospel story. His 
constant motto is: 

"I love to tell the story; 

Tis pleasant to repeat 
What seems, each time I tell it, 

More wonderfully sweet. 
I love to tell the story; 

For some have never heard 
The message of salvation 

From God's own holy word." 

With Bible and songbook, in the cool of 
the afternoon, I one day passed through the 
narrow, crooked lanes of Chikli, toward the 
regular place of preaching. On the way, I 
saw two Hindus sitting face to face on the 
ground. There was nothing uncommon in 
their sitting thus in the dust of the road, 

(127) 



128 Fruit from the Jungle 

or even lying there for a midday nap; but 
these men were not asleep. Their attitude 
attracted my attention, and I stopped to 
observe them. They were very intent on 
something, but at first I could not make out 
what it was. They were looking at each 
other, evidently "straight in the eye." 

PRIEST AND PATIENT 

As I drew near, one was repeating, "Ram — 
Ram — Ram — Ram," the name of a Hindu 
god much reverenced in India. The speaker 
had two small twigs about a foot and a half 
long, with which he beat the ground rapidly, 
till it seemed as if his arms must ache from 
the constant motion. I watched 'the men in 
silence for a while, and finally asked what 
they were doing. The man with the twigs, 
who was a priest, appeared greatly annoyed 
at what he evidently considered as my im- 
pertinence. But I had never seen such a 
performance before, and was anxious for an 
explanation; and why not, as this was a 
public place, and the performance seemed 
free to all who passed by? 

Observing the innocence of my intention, 
the priest told me that the other man was 
possessed with evil spirits, and that he was 





»i% 



__ 



■r 1 



I 



t 



mm 



(129) 



130 Fruit from the Jungle 

casting them out. The spell of the priest 
seemed broken the moment I spoke, and he 
gave a suggestive glance, and made a re- 
mark in an undertone to the patient. 

I then asked how long the poor fellow 
had been possessed, and what effect the evil 
spirits had on him — not that I believed all 
the men said, but because I wished to learn 
their ideas on the subject of demon pos- 

session. 

The priest replied that the evil spirits had 
been in the man a long time, that he had 
suffered much pain and torment from them, 
and that when he saw the blood of a goat 
or any other animal, he raged, and tried to 
tear himself. 

It was too good an opportunity to lose to 
relate the teaching of the gospel on the sub- 
ject. I did not for a moment doubt that 
the man, possibly both men, were possessed 
of many evil spirits, which gave them both 
much trouble; but I doubted the efficacy of 
their superstitious and nonsensical method 
of dealing with such mighty forces of evil. 
It is a pleasure to stand among positive 
unbelievers, and declare the truth of God 
At such times, we feel the special help of 
the Holy Spirit. I told these men that 



Casting Out Devils 131 

Ram was dead and buried, and that the use 
of a dead man's name would never cast out 
demons nor bring any relief whatever. I 
told them of Jesus Christ, the One mighty 
to save and to deliver; that while He was on 
earth, and even in these days, in answer to 
prayer, many afflicted souls had been de- 
livered from the power of the evil one. 

The men listened in breathless silence. 
Whether they grasped the message or not, I 
cannot tell; but the seed was sown, and the 
result was left with the Lord. I never saw 
those men again, but I was glad that I 
could tell them of Him who can cast out 
legions of devils by His word. When Jesus 
cures the sin-sick soul, devils flee, and peace 
fills the heart. 

A UNIQUE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 

A company of "dwellers in tents" had 
made their camp not far from the mission 
bungalow. They spent their days in manu- 
facturing palm leaf brooms and hemp rope, 
disposing of their goods in the weekly ba- 
zaars, and night after night sang their weird 
songs till a late hour. Their singing was 
accompanied by a one-stringed instrument, 
made of a dried squash, a hollow bamboo 



132 Fruit from the Jungle 

stick, and one wire, and producing a most 

monotonous strain. 

One of the young mothers from this tribe 
brought her small, unclothed child to our 
door and asked for a garment. We gave 
her one, and with thanks she departed. 

In a few days, our heavy annual rain be- 
gan to fall, and the rag tents, with all their 
contents, were soaked through and through. 
The mother of this babe fell very sick with 
a high fever, and for several days lay on a 
heap of old damp bedclothes, without proper 
food and care. Finally she became so ill that 
her people were alarmed, and decided to 
send for the witch doctor of their tribe. The 
day he arrived, the camp was all astir. Evi- 
dently they had the utmost reverence for 
and confidence in this aged but evil-eyed 
man. Great preparations were made for 
his comfort and entertainment. Chickens 
were killed, and a tempting feast was pre- 
pared. 

BARBAROUS "TREATMENT^ 

After he had been well satisfied with the 
good things made ready for him, he diag- 
nosed the fever case. He looked very wise 
for a while, and finally informed the people 



Casting Out Devils 133 

that this fever-stricken woman was possessed 
with evil spirits; then he called the musicians 
and drummers, who played their instruments 
with great zest and enthusiasm. The whole 
camp was in an* uproar. The old witch 
doctor himself became quite excited, and 
whirled and danced with many gestures and 
contortions. When the critical moment had 
arrived to cast out the evil spirits from the 
suffering woman, he took a bamboo stick, 
and beat her from head to foot. Of course, 
she was dreadfully frightened, and the re- 
sult was a free perspiration, which broke 
the fever, at least for a time. Naturally 
the people concluded that the "devils" had 
departed. 

About that time, the missionary appeared 
on the scene, quite indignant at the cruel 
treatment inflicted on the sick woman with- 
out a word of protest from one of the camp- 
ers. We insisted on an explanation, and 
informed the doctor and the people that if 
they attempted any such treatment again, 
we should send for the police, and have them 
arrested. The "doctor" was so frightened 
that he soon picked up his belongings and 
departed, and we never saw him again. 



134 Fruit from the Jungle 

Many such deluded men roam over India, 
deceived themselves, and deceiving the peo- 
ple. Doubtless many of them really be- 
lieve that they possess a supernatural ability 
to cast out and overthrow the works of dark- 
ness, when in reality they are in league with 
the evil one himself, and are helping to set 
up and strengthen his kingdom. But they 
deserve our pity rather than our censure, 
for they have never been taught the things 
of light and wisdom. I have often thought 
that many of these deluded men might make 
good evangelists if they were converted and 
trained in the things of God. They are 
serving Satan and propagating his subtle 
superstitions because they have never known 
a better way. 

a "ceanky" cow 

We had purchased a large buffalo cow, 
which furnished our table with rich milk and 
cream. A buffalo is quite different from an 
American cow in disposition. This one be- 
came very gentle, but at times took peculiar 
"cranky" spells — just why, we never knew. 
One day our milkman was not able to draw 
her milk. She was well fed, and even ca- 
ressed; but no inducement could we offer 




(135) 



136 Fruit from the Jungle 

that would lead her to yield her milk. She 
withheld every drop, and stamped in rage 
and defiance. 

What could be the matter? Several of 
the natives declared that she was possessed 
by a devil. We remonstrated; but very 
politely they told us of many such cases, 
and the cause as well. They finally im- 
plored us to call the old gowlie (milkman) 
of the town. Was he not an elder and a 
patriarch? and could he not tell every ail- 
ment of all such animals almost at a glance? 
Our curiosity was aroused by their earnest- 
ness, and reluctantly we consented to their 
calling the old gowlie. 

Very promptly the old man came to the 
stall, and in a dignified manner walked about 
the silent animal as if measuring her from 
head to foot. Then he called for a pan of 
hot coals, and placed it before her. Natu- 
rally she did not like the hot fumes in 
her face, and began to snuff, and snort, and 
paw, and flash her rolling eyes. Then the 
gowlie called for a bucket of water and 
several earthen cups. The cups were first 
heated in the fire, and then carefully placed 
in the bucket, where they sizzed and sput- 
tered. The attendant then took several hot 



Casting Out Devils 137 

cups, and waved them about the body of the 
cow, the gowlie pulling her tail, stroking her 
back, and at the same time repeating a bit 
of nonsense. 

Then, with a wise air, he said that no doubt 
she had been possessed, but now he was sure 
she would give her milk all right. We have 
to acknowledge that she did give her milk 
without the least further trouble; but of 
course we are still unconvinced that an evil 
spirit had been exorcised by the old man's 
performance. 

What impressed us most was the conclu- 
sion of these men as to the cause of the sup- 
posed possession. They asked a number of 
questions, and then were sure they knew 
the reason. The woman from whom we had 
purchased the animal had been to see her, 
and remarked that she looked "fat and fine" 
— which was true, for the animal was kept 
in excellent condition. "This is enough to 
spoil any cow," they said. "Yes, yes, that 
is the reason of her ill behavior. No one 
should ever assert, about either animals or 
men, that thejr are big and fat." 

Two stonemasons set out to a neighbor- 
ing village to wall up a well. They had 
gone but part way when suddenly they were 



138 Fruit from the Jungle 

observed to wheel about and return to their 
home. When asked why they returned so 
soon, they replied that they had seen the 
track of a snake on the road they were tak- 
ing, and that it was a very bad omen indeed; 
in fact, that Satan had cursed their path, 
and that their work on the well would never 
prosper if they proceeded then; so they 
postponed it until the trail in the dusty road 
had been swept away. 

We knew one woman who wore a necklace 
of snakes' teeth to charm away snakes and 
evil spirits. She afterward became a Chris- 
tian, and gave us the necklace, which is 
now in a museum in the United States. 
Many of the men wear two steel armlets 
above the muscles of the upper arm, as a 
guard against evil spirits; and sometimes it 
has been difficult to convince converts how 
useless these charms are. 

Nearly every Hindu child wears tied to 
the neck a small silver box containing a tiny 
idol consecrated by a priest. This, too, is 
worn to keep away evil spirits. 

The light of the gospel scatters all these 
superstitions, which affect the lives of the 
heathen as strongly as beautiful ideas affect 
ours. It is a great joy to see these people 



Casting Out Devils 139 

converted, and note the transformation of 
their natures, the blossoming out into joy 
and beauty of that which before was sad 
and repellant. 

Thank God, we know this better way, and 
have the privilege of working with our Sav- 
iour in establishing His kingdom on the 
earth. 




(140) 



CHAPTER IX 




The Plague 

N the book of Numbers, eleventh chap- 
ter and thirty-third verse, we read, 
"The Lord smote the people with a 
very great plague." And if you will 
take the trouble to look through the 
Bible, you will find many instances, in both 
the Old and the New Testament, where 
various kinds of plague are spoken of. 

Secular history also affords many examples 
of plague upon the people in numerous places, 
as the "black plague," which visited London 
in the seventeenth century. Without doubt, 
men have always felt, during such severe 
calamities, that God was displeased with 
them. John Wesley frequently spoke to men 
upon the judgments of God because of their 
sins. 

The epidemic of Bombay, which began in 
1896, was in some respects different from 
other plagues that have made their appear- 
ance in the past. One of the earliest signs 
of plague in this instance was the large num- 
ber of rats that died in the city. At first, 
little notice was given to this new and strange 

(141) 



142 Fruit from the Jungle 

occurrence; but when thousands of rats were 
found lying dead or stupid in private homes 
and places of business, the city became 
alarmed. About the same time, several per- 
sons were suddenly stricken with a peculiar 
new malady, which puzzled the physicians, 
and baffled their skill. The patient would 
be taken with a burning fever, and very 
soon large swellings appeared in the neck, 
the groins, and under the arms. These 
swellings were called bubos; and from this 
word, the plague was named bubonic. In 
a short time, it was found to be highly con- 
tagious; and wherever dead rats were found, 
it flourished greatly. 

In a short time, the people by thousands 
became so frightened that they fled from the 
city to the surrounding towns. Still the 
scourge swept on. Those who fled carried 
the germs of the disease with them; and in 
a short time, like a prairie fire, it had spread 
to many other towns and cities, and was 
beyond the control of all the medical force 
that government could command. A system 
of skilled medical inspection was soon or- 
ganized, but immediately another insurmount- 
able difficulty arose. Many of the Hindu 
and Mohammedan women keep purdah, and 



The Plague 143 

never show their faces in public. No men 
but the members of their immediate families 
are allowed to see them face to face. Civil 
surgeons could not visit such homes for in- 
spection. This hindered the carrying out of 
a well planned system of disinfection and 




The "Sunset Ghat" Dispensary at Kalyan 

sanitation. Where caste prejudice interfered 
with these regulations, police force was some- 
times resorted to, with the result that among 
certain classes of rigid caste people, resist- 
ance amounted almost to riots. 

FIGHTING THE PLAGUE 

The attempt to control the situation by 
force led to deception on the part of many. 
New cases were not reported, but were kept 

10 



144 Fruit from the Jungle 

hidden, and thus the whole situation baffled 
the skill, wisdom, and patience of the city 
authorities and sanitary commissioners. As 
soon as possible, medical attendants were sta- 
tioned all along the main railroads; and at 
certain places, everybody in the train was 
called out and examined. Many cases of 
fever were thus detected. Not far from each 
large railroad platform might be seen tem- 
porary buildings of coarse bamboo matting, 
which were used as places of quarantine for 
suspected cases, some of which developed into 
plague. 

In not a few instances, men who were com- 
ing down with plague when they fled from 
the city, died on the train. There were 
daily accounts of many who died from plague 
on the trains. At some stations, it was al- 
most amusing to see the sleeping travelers 
pulled out of their compartments in the night, 
lined up with all classes, and deftly inspected 
by the skilled medical attendants. Not one 
could escape. The trains themselves were 
fumigated at frequent intervals. But in 
spite of all precautions, the plague advanced 
rapidly over large districts, and to remote 
villages. The rats died in all directions, 
and not only rats, but squirrels, cattle, and 



The Plague 145 

monkeys. Nearly all the little striped squir- 
rels that had played about our mission com- 
pound disappeared. 

THE PEOPLE TERRIFIED 

Business was seriously affected; and for a 
time, panic conditions prevailed. No one 
cared to purchase goods from the plague- 
affected cities; and men became afraid to 
meet their neighbors, lest they become con- 
taminated. Even the mails were disinfected, 
to prevent the spread of the contagion from 
one place to another, and even to distant 
lands. Almost everybody in the country who 
had any medical skill or experience was 
drafted into active service, and at the ex- 
pense of the government, thrust into the 
army of faithful men and women who sought 
by every means possible to stay the disease. 

So many died that the city authorities were 
kept busy disposing of the bodies. When- 
ever a person died, the authorities placed a 
large black cross on the outside of the house 
— a ghastly sign of the work of this dread- 
ful scourge. In a few days, whole families 
were wiped out. House after house was 
vacated, entire streets were deserted, and in 
many quarters, whole blocks and squares. 



146 Fruit from the Jungle 

Often men were so badly frightened that 
they left their dead and fled. Some stopped 
in their houses only long enough to bury 
their dead in the ground floor of one of 
their living apartments. I saw one body 
carried through the streets merely tied to 
a pole. The man had been a priest, and 
lived alone. When he was not seen for 
several days, search was made, and he was 
found dead in his home. He had no friends 
to look after him; so the mahars, or low- 
caste men, were forced by the police to bury 

him. 

Cartloads of human beings were thus gath- 
ered up, piled in stacks like cordwood, and 
then thrown into deep pits or trenches and 
covered. Faces were drawn with sorrow and 
fright, and a cloud of fear hung like a black 
pall over the country. Usually only the 
natives were attacked, but now and then 
Europeans came down with plague. It was 
noticeable that few Christians were stricken. 
Most of the native converts live separate 
from others, and observe the rules of sani- 
tation. 

Some villages were more severely afflicted 
than others. Frequently officials gave orders 
for the people to vacate a town, and then 



The Plague 



147 



set fire to the houses and destroyed every- 
one. I drove through some such places, and 
the desolation and charred remains spoke 
more impressively of the terrible experience 
than any pen can. Profound silence and 
gloom fell upon us whenever we passed such 
a forsaken spot, once teeming with business, 
pleasure, and life. 

Still another effect was produced among 
the people: Men sought their gods, and en- 
deavored to appease their wrath by spending 
much time in the large temples, chanting and 
offering gifts in the hope of pardon and 




At the Dispensary 



148 Fruit from the Jungle 

mercy. At one temple, we saw a woman 
beating her chest, and calling piteously upon 
the mother god. Appointments were made 
for bloody sacrifices to the gods. 

Almost any time, one could stand in the 
doorway, and see long files of men, women, 
and children passing like so many living 
streams, each with a sheep, a goat, or a 
chicken, toward the place of worship and 
sacrifice. The bleating of sheep and the 
quacking of fowls, added to the clamor of 
human voices, made it strangely weird. And 
it was unspeakably sad, the people were so 
helpless and so ignorant. One's heart was 
moved with profound sympathy for them in 
their distress. 

The majority of the people were so over- 
powered with their calamity and a sense of 
divine displeasure that it was quite impos- 
sible to attract their attention. There were 
some exceptions, however; and many ac- 
knowledged that it was no wonder God had 
thus afflicted them, for they knew they and 
their people were very wicked in their daily 

lives. 

When men in large masses are moved to 
repentance, they often forget it soon, and 
fall back into the same old ways; but when, 



The Plague 149 

without much outside influence, they are 
touched by a sense of their sin, their reform 
is more likely to be permanent. 

Doubtless God has spoken loudly and 
long to the people of India; and if He is 
still patient and long-suffering toward them, 
surely we should be, and thank Him for 
the excellent opportunity we have of pre- 
senting to them a better way of living, and 
salvation from sin and its awful consequences. 

PLAGUE BROUGHT TO THE DISPENSARY 

Our medical dispensary was always open 
for all sorts of needy cases. One day, an 
old woman came staggering in, carrying her 
full-grown son rolled up in a blanket on 
her back. She was all out of breath as she 
gently lowered her burden to the ground, and 
placed the sick son beside the medical mis- 
sionary, who saw at • once that he was very 
ill of plague. Of course, the young man was 
removed from the place as quickly as pos- 
sible, but not before many of the waiting 
patients had been exposed. 

One of our orphan boys, Alfred by name, 
saw a large rat lying on the ground not far 
from our house, and picking it up by the tail, 
began to play ball with it. As soon as he 



150 Fruit from the Jungle 

was discovered, we properly disposed of the 
rat, and then had all the boys well disin- 
fected. The rat had died of plague. 

As I was sitting on the veranda of the 
mission house one day, a young man with 
a blanket on his head and with a burning 
fever, walked up and said: "Oh, sir, I am 
very sick indeed. Please give me treat- 
ment." A glance showed that he had the 
plague, and we sent him to the plague doctor 
immediately. He died soon after reaching 
the hospital, which was scarcely five minutes' 
walk distant. 

INOCULATION TRIED 

All sorts of experiments were made, and 
various measures were adopted in the hope 
of relief. A system of inoculation, similar 
to vaccination for smallpox, was introduced. 
Many patients who were inoculated died, 
while others, after passing through a very 
critical period of fever, recovered. In 
some localities, inoculation was quite popu- 
lar. However, many persons would not con- 
sent to this treatment. 

One day, we were informed that dead 
rats had been found in the cookhouse be- 
longing to our nearest neighbor, then in the 



The Plague 151 

next cookhouse, and so on all about us. The 
plague spread all over the town, and hun- 
dreds of persons were dying every week. 
In one family, seven or eight members died, 
and finally not one was left. 

CLAIMING GOD'S PROMISE 

When official orders came to vacate the 
town, we were glad that our house was apart 
from all the rest, for so we were allowed to 
remain upon our own premises. In all, we 
had about seventy-five persons in our com- 
pound, which included nearly eight acres. 
Most of these persons were native Chris- 
tians. We notified all that they should pray 
to God for special protection, and claim the 
promise that "there shall no evil befall thee, 
neither shall any plague come nigh thy 
dwelling." 

We provided a special disinfectant bath 
for all, and of course saw to it that the 
premises were kept clean, and then relied 
upon divine protection. The only man in 
our group who was not a Christian was our 
cook. He said his home was out in the 
jungles, and apart from others, and that 
he would not associate with the townspeople. 
Whether he kept his word or not we do not 



152 Fruit from the Jungle 

know; but one day he came to us, and said 
his son was ill of plague. . For a moment, 
we were almost speechless; but finally we 
told him to remain at home until we gave 
him permission to return. He came daily 
as far as our gate for milk and food, which 
we sent to his sick boy. About the same time, 
we received a boy and a girl who had both 
been exposed to plague. But after keeping 
them in the jungles and in quarantine for 
ten days, we allowed them to join our com- 
pany, and they are still (October, 1917) well 
and happy. Of the seventy-five souls at the 
mission, not one died of plague, while all 
about us many deaths occurred daily. For 
this special protection and favor of God we 
shall always be thankful indeed. 

ANXIOUS DAYS 

But this is not all that took place in our 
compound during those anxious days. While 
at the dinner table one day, we suddenly de- 
tected the smell of a dead rat in the house. 
We watched a large green fly as he buzzed 
into a hole in the wall under a bed in the 
corner of the bedroom; then with a pickax 
we dug away till we found in the bedroom 



The Plague 153 

wall a large dead rat, which must have been 
there several days. 

About that time, I was writing in the office 
one morning, when a dead squirrel dropped 
beside me on the floor, from the rafters over- 
head. I left the room and went to the water 
jar on the veranda for a drink, and there 
on the floor saw several more dead squirrels. 
We had just finished the preparations in a 
bedroom for an expected guest, and went in 
to see what more we might do to have every- 
thing in order for our friend, when the 
breeze brought unpleasant whiffs of a de- 
caying rat. We looked everywhere, and at 
last discovered a large brown spot on the 
cloth that serves for a ceiling instead of 
plaster, in the dressing room adjoining the 
guest chamber. These dead rats and squir- 
rels were disposed of as quickly as possible, 
and each place where they had been was 
properly disinfected. 

HIS PROMISES NEVER FAIL 

Those trying days were a test of our faith; 
but His promises never failed. "The word 
of God . . . cannot be broken." "Heaven 
and earth shall pass away, but My words 
shall not pass away." 



154 Fruit from the Jungle 

The plague continues to break out yearly 
in India; -and since the incidents related 
above took place, it has spread to many 
other lands. It seems to have spent itself 
in its onward progress, and is not so violent 
as when it first came; yet every year, we 
read of many deaths from this awful pes- 
tilence. 



CHAPTER X 



Rama the Scavenger 




]lp!^ OST of the boys attending our mis- 
' sion school at Jalgaon were of the 
mochi, or shoemaker caste. Other 
boys in town would not associate with 
the shoemakers, because they worked 
on the skins of dead animals. A high-caste 
man may not touch a dead animal of any 
kind. Should he do so, he would be defiled. 
The Jews had similar laws concerning defile- 
ment, such as that recorded in Lev. 11:27: 
"Whoso toucheth their carcass shall be un- 
clean until the even." 

Kasho, our schoolmaster, rang his bell at 
nine o'clock in the morning, when a lot of 
bright-faced, nearly nude little fellows filed 
into the whitewashed schoolroom of the mis- 




Candy Seller 

(155) 



156 Fruit from the Jungle 

sion home. The master most of the time 
sat cross-legged on a red cotton rug in 
one corner of the room, and the boys were 
ranged around its four walls in the same 
fashion. If too many boys were present, 
and the wall was overcrowded, they sat in 
the middle of the room, all flat on the floor. 
When a native sits on a chair, he says, 
"Moongy arlie" which means, literally, "The 
ants have come." And a white man, ac- 
customed to the use of a chair, if compelled 
to sit cross-legged all day on the floor, 
would say his legs had "gone to sleep." That 
creepy sensation of numbness which we call 
"going to sleep," they call "creeping of 
ants"; and what cures it in one man causes 
it in another. Such is the effect of custom. 

THE BIBLE TAUGHT 

The opening exercises of our school con- 
sisted of a Christian song, a few verses of 
Scripture read by the master and repeated 
by the pupils, and prayer. The school was 
usually closed with similar exercises, all the 
pupils reciting a psalm or some other Scrip- 
ture portion which they had carefully com- 
mitted to memory, and enjoyed reciting to 
visitors. Missionaries and native helpers 




(157) 



158 Fruit from the Jungle 

spend much time drilling the children and 
young people to repeat the word of God, 
with the hope that if it is once fixed in 
the memory, it may sometime reach the heart. 
"The entrance of Thy words giveth light," 
declared the psalmist long ago; and we are 
sure that when the word of God begins to 
operate in the hearts of the heathen, false 
notions will be destroyed, and the truth will 
transform their lives. 

Bibles are always provided for those who 
wish them and will promise to read them. 
If tons of Bibles in the language of the 
people could be freely scattered in India, it 
would not be long before thousands would 
turn to the true God, and forsake idolatry 
and superstition. 

A BOY OF THE SWEEPER CASTE 

Many cases of real conversion can be 
traced to the simple reading of the Bible. 
It is customary for one of the sweeper or 
scavenger caste to visit each house and com- 
pound once or twice a day to collect and 
carry off the rubbish and waste that ac- 
cumulates in the closets, etc. A widow with 
nine small children to support thus visited 
the Jalgaon mission each day. The death 




An Indian Sweeper and Wife 
These are the untouchables 



11 



(159) 



160 Fruit from the Jungle 

of her husband had left her the sole bread 
winner for the family of ten. One day, her 
oldest son, Rama, came instead of his mother. 
He would be called a mater, or bungee, which 
means, in the Hindu language, a sweeper; 
but the poor. boy could not prevent his caste 
any more than he could change his dark 
skin. I asked him if he ever went to school. 

"No, sir; but I wish I could go," was the 
prompt reply. 

That was just what I wanted him to say, 
for I sincerely hoped to persuade him to 
become a learner in our mission school. We 
did not object to his caste, and soap and 
water would make him as clean as a high- 
caste youth. Did he not have a soul to 
save as well as those from higher castes and 
of more respected occupations? His only 
excuse was that he must care for his two 
little brothers; but he could find some time 
for study, and I agreed to accept him as a 
pupil in our school, as well as his two small 
brothers. 

HAD TO SIT IN THE HALL 

Few boys in America would have the 
courage to try to study and act as child's 
nurse at the same time; but Rama had be- 



Rama the Scavenger 161 

come used to such responsibilities in his 
mother's absence from home, and became as 
attentive to his studies as were those about 
him. His eyes sparkled with delight the day 
we arranged the plan and welcomed him 
into our mission school. None of the 
shoemaker boys, however, would sit beside 
him. They regarded themselves as above a 
sweeper, and would not become defiled by 
close contact with one whom they had been 
taught to think beneath them. So Rama, 
with his brothers, sat in the hallway, but 
close to the door, where the master could 
see and hear all they did and said. He 
proved quick to learn, and soon committed 
some Scripture portions to memory. The 
Lord's Prayer was very attractive to him. 

BITTEN BY A SCORPION 

After the boy had been in school for some 
time, his mother came to our door one morn- 
ing, apparently in a high state of excite- 
ment, and very anxious to tell us something. 
She said that the previous night, when all 
was quiet in her humble little home, Rama 
suddenly jumped up from his bed on the 
floor, screaming and in great pain. He had 
been stung by a scorpion, a common pest 



162 Fruit from the Jungle 

in India. Begging his mother to do some- 
thing quickly for his relief, he lay down 
again on the floor, writhing in agony. I 
have seen strong men in a spasm of pain for 
several hours, with beads of perspiration 
standing all over their bodies, after they were 
thus poisoned by a scorpion's sting. 

Rama's mother tied a bandage about the 
wound to prevent the circulation of poison 
to other parts of the body, and then ap- 
plied a burning match to cauterize it, and 
an onion ointment to allay the pain, which 
was unbearable. Suddenly Rama exclaimed: 
"Why don't you pray to God, as the mis- 
sionaries do? They tell everything to God, 
and He hears their prayers." 

"But," said she, "what could I, an ignorant 
woman, do? I could not pray like the white 
man." 

Then Rama said he must pray; so he knelt 
down, and poured out an earnest petition 
for deliverance. The pain ceased, and mother 
and son lay down in peace. 

Now that heathen woman stood before me 
with beaming countenance, confessing her 
simple faith in the God we worship, who 
almost instantly answered the prayer of her 
boy that night. She seemed to feel that she 



Rama the Scavenger 163 

must come and tell us the good her son was 
getting from our school. Both mother and 
son had grasped a faith which brought great 
consolation to their hearts. To me this was 
a beautiful fulfillment of the promise, "Call 
upon Me in the day of trouble: I will de- 
liver thee." 

EMPLOYED AS A MISSION SERVANT 

After a time, for lack of room and on ac- 
count of other changes, the Jalgaon Mission 
House was closed; but Rama continued his 
regular visits to the mission, and sometimes 
attended family worship. While attending 
the mission school, he had learned to read, 
and became a happy Christian boy. Now 
we employed him as a regular mission serv- 
ant, to drive the bullocks and make himself 
generally useful. 

He heard that a native Christian camp 
meeting was to be held not far away. With 
joy he thought of meeting so many con- 
verted people, and endeavored to attend. 
First he gained the consent of his mother; 
for the older he grew, the more loyal he 
seemed to be to her. Then he asked leave 
of the missionary for whom he worked; and 
when car fare to and from the camp meeting 



164 Fruit from the Jungle 

was given him, a happier lad than Rama 
never walked the earth. While at the meet- 
ing, he made many new friends, and heard 
much about Christ that he had not before 
learned. 

THE ACCIDENT 

I must now relate a sad story in Rama's 
life. One afternoon, several persons were 
leaving the camp meeting for the railroad 
station, and Rama accompanied them in the 
bullock cart. Accidentally he fell from the 
cart, and the heavy wheel passed over his 
body, crushing him badly. This sad accident 
caused a feeling of gloom over all that happy 
gathering. Friends hastily carried him , to 
the government hospital for proper care and 
treatment. At the hospital, inquiry was 
made as to what caste he belonged to; and 
when it was known that he was of the 
sweeper caste, he was not permitted to lie 
on a cot in the ward with the other patients, 
but was assigned to a heap of old rags on 
the floor. Much as the missionaries longed 
to see him better cared for, they could not 
interfere with custom and caste prejudices. 
He was visited daily by his Christian friends, 
who prayed for him, and took him such 
simple food as he could eat. 



Rama the Scavenger 165 

One day, one of the missionaries who had 
called to see Rama, saw that the lad was 
sinking fast, and asked him if there was any- 
thing he wanted. 

"Yes," said the boy. "I shall not live 
long now. I want but one thing before I 
die. I want to be baptized; but that is im- 
possible, and I must die as I am. I am 
sorry, oh, so sorry; but I shall meet you 
when Jesus comes." 

Since Rama fell asleep in Jesus, the godly 
missionary who told me this part of his story, 
and who talked with him at the last, has also 
gone to rest. Of course, the poor old mother 
was heartbroken when she learned of her 
son's death, and the mission also felt his 
loss deeply. 

That humble little school in Jalgaon has 
already borne permanent fruit for the king- 
dom of God. How glad I am that we ever 
pushed through the obstacles which stood in 
our way in its establishment! Who can read 
this simple story and not feel that it pays 
to follow the footsteps of Jesus, and "preach 
the gospel to every creature"? There are 
in India millions of youth like Rama, who 
should have an opportunity to hear of Jesus, 
and many who will also accept Him. 



166 Fruit from the Jungle 

Frequently boys beg to be received into a 
mission school, but not all are accepted, for 
lack of sufficient funds for their support. 
They cheerfully accept the coarsest food 
and the humblest quarters for the opportu- 
nity of personal improvement and education. 
They are not ashamed to be called Chris- 
tians, nor to be found reading the Bible. 
In civilized lands, dogs and horses are trained, 
and it is wonderful to see what these dumb 
animals can learn to do. If men and women 
with the love of God in their hearts would 
as patiently and perseveringly train the chil- 
dren of heathen parents, who can compute 
the results in this world and in that to 
come ? 

The greatest need is devoted workers and 
devoted money. Who will go? Who will 
give? 



CHAPTER XI 




Bloody Offerings 

ITH but few exceptions, the doctrine 
of atonement by blood finds place 
in all the various religions in the 
world. Prominent among those who 
do not hold to the necessity of shed- 
ding of blood are the Parsees, or fire wor- 
shipers. Practically all peoples are ready to 
receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the 
gospel of the precious blood of the Son of God. 
I was called to conduct the funeral service 
of a native Christian policeman, who had 
lived fourteen miles from the mission sta- 
tion. There were no Christians in that 
town, save this policeman, his wife, and three 
small children. When he died, his family 
were without a friend to help them; for 
when a man accepts Christ, and is baptized, 
he is usually treated as an outcast by his 
heathen associates, and even in the hour of 
his greatest need, is left to push through 
difficulties all alone. 

After driving fourteen miles in the hot 
sun, I found the man lying just as he had 
died, his broken-hearted widow alone in her 

(167) 



168 Fruit from the Jungle 

sorrow. Their home was a small, one-roomed 
house, made of mud and thatched with cotton 
stalks. As I drove up, the wife came out 
to meet me. For a moment, she forgot 
her grief, and smiled, she was so glad a 
Christian friend had come. Then, bowing 
her head, she sobbed out her heart's anguish. 
But even then I observed the self-control 
and expression of hope which I had never 
seen at such times among heathen women, 
and thanked God that this family were 
Christians. 

My first duty was to pull off my coat, 
roll up my sleeves, and prepare a bier for 
our dead brother. We laid him on the bam- 
boo frame, covered him with a white cloth, 
and tucked green branches among the white 
to relieve the ghastliness. After carefully 
tying all to the bier, we placed it in our 
bullock cart. 

A HEATHEN BURYING PLACE 

An appropriate service was held, consist- 
ing of a song, the reading of a chapter, 
prayer, and a few remarks; then with bowed 
heads we proceeded to the cemetery. We 
had to bury at one side, as the people would 



Bloody Offerings 169 

not allow a Christian to lie among those who 
had died as idol worshipers. 

I shuddered as we entered the graveyard 
and saw skulls and human bones lying all 
about. Wild animals had pulled dead bodies 
out of their graves, eaten their flesh, and 
the bones were bleaching in the hot sun. 

It was a lonely funeral service, — just 
seven Christians present, with crowds of 
heathen looking scornfully on. We felt our 
weakness as far as numbers were concerned; 
yet a sense of the sacred nearness of the 
Saviour accompanied us all the way. 

Our brother had been in the service of the 
British government, at a wage of seven 
rupees, or about $2.33, a month. They were 




Our Bullock Cart at Kalyan 



170 Fruit from the Jungle 

a very poor family indeed. On our return, 
we waited at the little cottage long enough 
to arrange for the transfer of the widow 
and the children to the mission house. All 
they possessed did not fill one two-wheeled 
cart. 

The next day, they arrived at the mission. 
The three children were placed in school, and 
properly cared for, and the widow was given 
such work as she was able to do, at the usual 
wage of a woman, two annas (four cents) 
a day. Thus she supported herself, and had 
Christian privileges and the fellowship of 
the native Christians. 

A FEAST OF ATONEMENT 

We left that heathen village about five 
o'clock that afternoon, and had gone but a 
short distance when we heard the sound of 
the tom-tom (native drum) as well as other 
instruments. Turning a sharp corner, to 
our surprise, crowds of people dressed in gay 
attire came into view, marching up the main 
street of the town. They were a motley 
throng, — men, women, and children, dressed 
in red, yellow, green, and blue, as well as 
combinations of all colors. 



Bloody Offerings 171 

We asked the reason for this display, of 
a passer-by; and he explained that the people 
were celebrating a special feast, at which 
a male buffalo was sacrificed, and an atone- 
ment made for the sins of the people. With 
our knowledge of the true atonement, the 
very thought of such a barbarous thing was 
repulsive in the extreme. I called my driver 
to halt, and sat looking at the multitude, 
numbering hundreds, as they approached us. 

The leader was the Parted, or head man 
of the village. He wore a large turban 
trimmed with gold braid, also a long blue 
felt coat, and brandished a heavy sword in 
mid-air. Following close behind him were 
four other large fellows dressed in gay 
clothes, each one leaping into the air from 
time to time, and uttering terrific yells. 

THE SACRIFICE 

Then came a male buffalo about a year old, 
four ropes tied to his feet, and four men 
holding the ropes, also a man following with 
a club, which he frequently used to urge 
the poor creature forward. As they came 
closer to us, we observed that the nose of 
the animal had been slit open, and the blood 
was dripping freely from the cuts. The 



172 Fruit from the Jungle 

tail had been mutilated and streamed with 
blood. The animal wore about his neck 
a garland of marigolds, roses, and jasmine. 
The poor thing looked indeed pitiful as it 
was led toward us and into the big gate 
of the town. 

I alighted from my carriage to get a better 
view of all they did; and a high-caste Hindu, 
who was very respectful to me, pushed the 
people to one side, so that I could fully ob- 
serve the ceremony. It might be stated here 
that while these Hindus do not usually slay 
animals for food, they frequently sacrifice 
them for offerings to their gods. 

The people were wild with excitement. 
The musicians played with all their might, 
and in the most discordant manner. The 
noise increased in volume until I felt al- 
most lifted off my feet. As soon as the 
procession halted before the village gate, 
the people all gave one tremendous shout, 
and a circle was formed, with the buffalo 
standing in the midst. 

A LOATHSOME SPECTACLE 

Suddenly the head man, in his long blue 
coat, rushed forward, shrieked, leaped into 
the air, swung his glittering sword, and gave 




(173) 



174 Fruit from the Jungle 

one wicked blow on the top of the neck of 
the animal. It made but a small gash. 
Then the second man leaped like mad, as 
the first had done, and gave a cut; then a 
third, a fourth, and a fifth, and so on, one 
after the other in rapid succession, until 
the blood splashed in all directions, besmear- 
ing those who stood near. They chopped and 
chopped until the head was hacked off, and 
fell rolling in the pool of blood on the 
ground. The poor, suffering, quivering crea- 
ture had repeatedly fallen down from ex- 
haustion, but as many times had been pulled 
up by the men who held the four ropes tied 
to its legs; so after the head was gone, it 
stood there headless,— a cruel, revolting, and 
loathsome spectacle. 

The multitudes rushed madly forward with 
little branches from the trees, and first dip- 
ping them in the blood, ran to their fields 
and homes to sprinkle the blood there, hop- 
ing thus to gain protection and prosperity. 
Then they dug up the big flat stones in 
the middle of the gate, pulled out the buf- 
falo's head buried there the year before, 
and put this new head in its place. Then 
the flat stones were replaced, and the cere- 
mony was over. 



Bloody Offerings 175 

As the multitude went in and out of that 
gate all the year, they would always re- 
member that a bloody offering had been 
made for the sins of all the people; but they 
knew not the only efficient sacrifice, the 
Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. 
I felt stunned, and almost too overcome to 
get into my carriage. 

As I turned away, my pent-up spirits 
found relief in crying to God, "How long, 
O Lord, how long?" How long will it be 
before these poor men and women shall be 
taught that "it is not possible that the blood 
of bulls and of goats should take away sins"? 
How long will they be left to sit in such 
darkness and superstition? How long be- 
fore the Christians of the world will awake 
to the command of the Lord, "Go ye into 
all the world, and preach the gospel to 
every creature"? There are a few mission- 
aries in those parts, and they are "up and 
at it" early and late; but the multitudes are 
so great! Millions are dying without the 
bread of life. A few scattered workers 
cannot reach them all, and so they perish, 
and that by millions, without a knowledge 
of the true God and His salvation. 



12 



176 Fruit from the Jungle 

It takes so long really to learn the lan- 
guages of India, to minister to its millions 
of people, that we need to send out mission 
workers by thousands. I think it may be 
truthfully 'said that in America and other 
civilized lands, all have heard of Christ; at 
least, all have heard enough so that if they 
want to be saved, they may. Yet Christ is 
forced upon men there, and often preached 
to unwilling ears, while over here they have 
not had opportunity even to hear of Him. 
But to return to our story! Driving 
toward home, we had gone only a short 
distance when we passed another great pool 
of blood in the middle of a public highway, 
and were informed that the sacrifice of a 
buffalo had been made there that day. Two 
miles farther on we saw still another male 
buffalo with his nose slit, being driven about 
another village. 

THE LIVING FOUNTAIN 

We two missionaries talked the matter over 
between ourselves, and both determined that 
we would work harder, and be more devoted 
and self-sacrificing, than ever before, for 
the salvation of the heathen. We also pur- 
posed, by the grace of God, to be as zealous 



Bloody Offerings 177 

as possible in stirring up an interest in all 
the world for others to assist us in this 
great work assigned to the church. If people 
should say to us, as they said to Paul, "Thou 
art beside thyself," well and good. No mat- 
ter what they say, we know that millions of 
souls are daily passing away without a knowl- 
edge of the way of eternal life. We can 
afford to be misunderstood, and considered 
beside ourselves, or enthusiasts, if thereby 
the great object of the atonement may be 
made more prominent, and if more will heed 
the call, and give themselves and their money 
for this great cause. 

Why do so many push this great subject 
to one side? Why do they treat it so lightly? 
Why do they pray and give so little? Why 
do they live in luxury and comfort, . when 
men and women by millions are dying for 
the bread of life? "To him that knoweth 
to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is 
sin." "And that servant, which knew his 
lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither 
did according to his will, shall be beaten with 
many stripes." 

May God help you, my friends, to obey 
Him, and send the gospel to India and to 
all who have it not. 




Mr. and Mrs. John Balid 
Mrs. Balid was one of our famine girls in 1900, now 
certified teacher and nurse. They were recently 
married at Kalyan. Both are members 

of the Kalyan church. 
(178) 



CHAPTER XII 




Obeying the Holy Spirit 

HEN Philip the evangelist was con- 
ducting a series of meetings in the 
villages of Samaria, the Holy Spirit 
spoke to him, and said, "Arise, and 
go toward the south . . . unto Gaza." 
Philip immediately obeyed. On his way, 
he met a high Ethiopian official, who was 
converted and baptized. We are told that 
this man went to Egypt and preached the 
gospel there. 

If Philip had reasoned concerning his 
work in the villages as men are wont to 
reason, perhaps the man of Ethiopia would 
have been lost. Philip might have said, "I 
am doing a great work in these towns, Lord, 
and it seems unreasonable for me to leave 
such a promising field of labor for a 'one- 
man appointment,' and out in the country 
too." But he did not reason that way. 
When the Holy Spirit spoke, he was prompt 
to respond. When we walk with the Lord, 
we are always prompt to do as He suggests, 
and the results are blessed with divine fruit. 

(179) 



180 Fruit from the Jungle 

We have seen this repeatedly in the mis- 
sion field in India. I was seeking to walk 
very closely with the Lord, and desirous 
of bringing His blessing to other souls. 
On a certain New Year's Day, a Christian 
friend and his family had arranged to take 
lunch in the forest, amid the beauties of 
nature, and I was invited to enjoy the oc- 
casion with them. 

GO PREACH 

It was a real treat to eat one meal out 
among God's spreading shade trees, remind- 
ing me of happy days at camp meetings in 
the homeland. No sooner was lunch over 
than the Holy Spirit began to speak to 
my heart, saying, "Go preach;" but was I 
not taking a "day off" with that good brother 
who worked so hard in the government office 
all the year? Still the voice said, "Go 
preach." When I told my host, he said, 
"Obey the Lord, and go preach." So my 
horse was saddled, and I was off to a vil- 
lage I had never visited before. Often be- 
fore, as I had passed near this village, my 
heart had been moved to turn in, but I 
had felt that I could not spare the time. 
The very hills and valleys seemed filled 
with the divine presence as I pursued my 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 181 

journey. I recall even now the very turns 
in the road, and remember the places where 
my soul was specially blessed in obeying His 
sweet voice. With a note of victory I sang 
till the hills resounded with praises that day. 
The village was reached about four o'clock 
that afternoon. Few people were in sight, 
and I was tempted to think I could not 
gain an audience. But I felt sure of my 
call, and believed that God must have hearts 
there ready to receive the message; so, halt- 
ing in front of the resthouse and temple, 
I began to sing a Christian song. Soon the 
people, hearing the singing, and wondering 
what was taking place, began to come from 
all directions. By the time I ceased sing- 
ing, a good-sized congregation was quietly 
seated on the ground in front of me. I read 
the word of God to men who probably 
heard it for the first time. They listened 
intently, and my own heart was made glad 
as I beheld them. 

LISTENING TO THE GOSPEL 

The text I had chosen, "Have faith in 
God," opened up as I spoke, and thoughts 
from the Lord followed each other as fast 
as I could utter them. I felt special help 



182 Fruit from the Jungle 

from above, and an assurance that God 
would bless the message. The people had 
never heard a Christian address before, but 
assented to the truth that there is but one 
true and living God, and that we should all 
obey and trust in Him. They acknowledged 
that they were all sinners. How reasonable 
the claims of Christ appear, when the Holy 
Spirit speaks to the hearts of men! That 
whole company of heathen believed the gospel 
message that afternoon. Repeatedly they 
said, "True, true," and "Yes, yes." 

I felt inspired with a royal message, and 
delivered it as best I could. Presently I 
observed one man much moved. Then I 
pressed home the message, and made several 
practical applications of it. I showed how 
sin had separated us from the true God, 
whom we should all love and obey, and that 
faith is the simple means by which we are 
to come back to our heavenly Father, and 
make Him a living reality in our lives. 

That one poor heathen saw the point. 
His eyes moistened as he felt his load of 
sins, 'and longed for deliverance from 
them Presently he exclaimed, "Buss! Buss!" 
("That's enough!") Then he stood up, and 
asked if he might have that experience of 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 183 

the knowledge of sins forgiven. I assured 
him that God is no respecter of persons, and 
that whosoever will may come and partake 
of the water of life freely. 

Then I told the people we would all kneel 
before the one true God, and pray to Him, 
and He would hear our request. They had 
never seen a man pray to the true God be- 
fore, so they could hardly be expected to 
close their eyes. How glad I was that I 
could teach them how to call upon our God 
in the name of His Son Jesus Christ! 

CONFESSING CHRIST 

First I prayed for all present; then for 
that one man, so evidently moved by the 
Holy Spirit. Then I asked him to pray 
for himself; and for the first time in his 
life, he cried to the living God for pardon 
of sins and peace of mind. He confessed his 
sins in a very frank and honest spirit, and 
continued till a change came over him; 
then with a shining face he arose, and asked, 
"Am I a Christian now?" I told him the 
Holy Spirit would speak to his heart, and 
tell him if his sins were all pardoned. He 
said he felt much better, and that he had 
confessed all. 



184 Fruit from the Jungle 

The people were spellbound, for they had 
never witnessed anything like that before 
Then this seeker asked a question. He said 
that the Hindus had a certain custom, and 
he wanted to know if he should follow it. 
When they forsake one idol for another, 
they balance the idol about to be forsaken 
with wheat, and then throw both wheat and 
idol into the river. He asked if he should 
weigh his idol and cast it into the river, as 
he had accepted Jesus Christ. 

Before I could think of an appropriate 
reply some one in the audience responded, 
"Nucko,nucko" ("Don't, don't"). But after 
a moment, I said "Yes." Then they all 
said "Yes" too. To weigh the idol m wheat 
surely meant counting the cost, and throw- 
ing all into the river meant forsaking the 
past. There was in it the thought of sacri- 
fice and abandonment, so I agreed. The 
man who accepted Christ seemed changed 
then and there. Then the others began to 
say, "We will watch you, and see if you live 
as you should after this." 

I shall always believe that that man was 
converted the first time he heard the gospel — 
a thing which is seldom seen in India, but 
is quite possible when the Holy Spirit has 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 185 

His way. Proper conditions must produce 
certain results. What a pity that right con- 
ditions are not always met in every service 
held in the name of Christ! 

FAREWELL 

I said "Salaam" to all the friends I had 
made at that service, mounted my horse, and 
drove away; but that poor fellow followed 
me out of the village, and talked as fast 
as he could all the way. He told me he had 
been a great sinner, but that now he wanted 
to be good. He pointed out his little home, 
and said he had a wife and children. 




Weighing His Stone Idol 
in Wheat 



186 Fruit from the Jungle 

When I left him, he put his head in his 
hands, and touched my feet with his fore- 
head. Of course, I objected; but it is a 
mark of respect. I promised to call again, 
and went on. After a while, I kept my 
promise, and did call; but the man was away 
at work in the jungles, so I did not meet him. 
Many times I have passed that village 
since then, but I have never found the time 
to stop and preach, or to inquire about that 
converted man. Sad, was it not, after the 
Holy Spirit had begun such a work m 
hearts? But the missionary cannot reach 
all he desires, nor fill all the calls. The 
field is large, and we can only sow the seed 
at God's bidding, and leave Him to care 
for the work that is beyond our power. I 
trust that that seeking soul is still depend- 
ing on God for salvation. But how should 
we fare if we had no one to preach to us 
and frequently tell us the good news? 

EIGHT MEN ASK PRAYERS 

At another time, three of us missionaries 
were conducting a service in another village 
where the gospel had never been preached. 
We felt that special help was given us from 
above at this place also. After we had 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 187 

sung a hymn, a large company of Hindus 
gathered on the side of a hill to listen. We 
felt, in our weakness, that the Holy Spirit 
came into that meeting, and blessed those 
present. They gave excellent attention; and 
when we invited those who wished to seek 
Christ to come forward, eight able-bodied 
men came to the front, and knelt while we 
prayed for them. We were never free to 
return to that village, so they too were left 
to the mercy and love of God. 

After a meeting in another village, a young 
man quietly slipped some fruit into our 
hands, a thing quite unusual. It meant 
much for a Hindu thus to treat Europeans. 
The next time we held a service in that 
place, two young men followed us out of 
the village. When they saw that they were 
quite by themselves, they opened their hearts, 
and said they believed in Christ, and desired 
to become His disciples. 

"But," they continued, "if we follow Christ, 
our people will forsake us and cut us off 
from the inheritance." Thus they would lose 
all right to property and home. They 
begged us to advise them as to what course 
they should pursue. We could only say, 
"Follow Christ, and He will provide." 



188 Fruit from the Jungle 

Still another young man used to visit us 
at the mission house at night to read the 
Bible and to propound questions — a Nico- 
demus, it is true, yet one upon whose heart 
the grace of God had fallen, and caused a 
desire to accept the truth. 

One day, the inspector of public schools, 
a portly looking Brahman gentleman, who 
spoke English fluently, called for a short 
visit. In the course of his call, he asked for 
a New Testament, and desired us to select 
certain portions of special interest for him 
to read and study. After a few weeks, he 
returned the book with thanks, and then 
asked me several questions about what he 
had read. 

Many similar instances might be related. 
The heathen are not all poor and ignorant; 
some of them are teachers, lawyers, physi- 
cians, men of ability, with excellent posi- 
tions. Many from these classes are seekers 
after truth; but "how shall they hear with- 
out a preacher? and how shall they preach, 
except they be sent?" 

Seldom in America will a man come to 
a preacher, and confess his desire for truth; 
but there are thousands in India -and other 
heathen lands who do this. As a financial 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 189 

investment, it pays better to put one's money 
into foreign missions than into home mis- 
sions; for to save a soul costs less money in 
heathen lands than it does in America. 

A WHOLE VILLAGE CALL FOR HELP 

One afternoon, we were preaching to sev- 
eral thousands of people in a market place. 
They had given excellent attention, and we 
were about to sing the closing hymn, when 
a Hindu priest drew near to say there were 
a number of questions he wanted to ask 
about the Christian religion. To avoid public 
controversy, something that Hindu priests 
often raise for the purpose of confusing the 
minds of the people, we courteously invited 
him to our home, and promised to reply to 
all the questions he wished to ask. 

The next morning, bright and early, he 
arrived with three of his disciples, and sev- 
eral hours were spent in reading the New 
Testament in Marathi. Then they care- 
fully looked through our songbooks, and 
finally asked for books to take home with 
them. We thought we might never see 
them again, but prayed that the word spoken 
might fall into good ground. In about two 
weeks, the same priest returned with a large 



190 Fruit from the Jungle 

band of followers, pleading with us to visit 
their village, as they had all decided to be- 
come Christians. 

"COME OVER . . . AND HELP US" 

In some instances, men have brought let- 
ters of invitation signed by long lists of 
villagers, to come and visit them. They have 
walked long distances and waited several 
days, hoping we would return to their place 
of abode with them. Then they have sent 
postals and letters, but we have not been 
able to go nor to send any one. Who ever 
hears of such instances in civilized lands? In 
other cases, they have offered us land, build- 
ings, and wells, if we would only come and 
instruct them. They know that Christianity 
is uplifting, and they ask only for a teacher 
to show them the way. 

In many places, the cry is to-day, as it 
was in the days of the apostle Paul, "Come 
over . . . and help us." We had a native 
schoolmaster stationed in a small village, 
which we visited from time to time, as such 
a native preacher or teacher often serves as 
the connecting link between the people and 
the missionary. This man arranged for a 
preaching service for us at a certain place 



Obeying the Holy Spirit 191 

and hour. The house was too small for 
those who came, so we assembled outside in 
the court. There, beneath the stars, we told 
the old, old story. As soon as the service 
ended, a high-caste man requested a private 
interview. I consented, and he told me of 
his great desire to follow Christ. I prayed 
for him, and instructed the master to help 
him all he could, promising to meet them 
both again soon. 

Imagine my surprise a few nights later, 
when I was called up at eleven o'clock by 
the master and this young man, the latter 
asking for baptism. He had walked fourteen 
miles to accept Christ thus publicly. 

The young man remained with us a few 
days, in which time we had a public baptismal 
service at the lake. We had instructed him 
that it would be necessary for him to cut 
off his sacred thread, the sign of a high-caste 
man, also his sacred lock of hair, or shandi. 
To this he readily consented. When we 
drove to the lake for the service, I took my 
scissors with me, as usual; but to my sur- 
prise, these sacred signs of Hinduism were 
already cut off, the young man himself hav- 
ing removed them. How gladly we bap- 
tized him when we saw this expression of 



13 



192 Fruit from the Jungle 

his sincerity and bold faith in Christ! It 
meant very much to that young man to 
part with those signs of his old faith, but 
he counted all things as naught for Christ. 
He afterward suffered great persecution 
from his own people; but he held fast to 
his faith, and eventually married a Chris- 
tian girl. So far as we know, he is still 
loyal to the truth. 

When Spirit-filled missionaries learn the 
language of the people, they may see great 
ingatherings almost anywhere in India. "Not 
by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, 
saith the Lord." 



CHAPTER XIII 



Was It Worth While? 

UR weekly village bazaar, or market 
day, came on our rest day; so we 
could not purchase our week's sup- 
plies in our own town. On this ac- 
count, we did our marketing at 
Deolghat, a village five miles distant. In 
February, 1900, the famine which afterward 
proved so severe had just begun in Central 
India. Rain had not fallen for several 
months; grain was scarce, and those who had 
it for sale demanded unreasonable prices. 
A missionary brother accompanied me to 
Deolghat bazaar in our two-wheeled bullock 
cart, or tonga. We drove to the edge of 
the large crowd at the bazaar, unyoked our 
bullocks for rest and feed under a large 
tamarind tree, and sauntered off to do our 
marketing. We had gone but a few steps 
when we saw a wretched-looking creature, 
a tall, skeleton-like black man, squatting 
on the public highway, and drew closer to 
get a better view. Multitudes of Hindus 
and Mohammedans were passing, but none 
seemed to notice this man. 

(193) 



194 Fruit from the Jungle 

Our sympathies were stirred to the depths, 
and we could scarcely believe our eyes. He 
looked more like an animal than a man; his 
body was nearly nude ; his nails were long and 
claw-like; he wore less than a yard of cloth, 
a dirty rag; his hair was alive with vermin; 
we could count every rib; his stomach was 
basin-like and empty; his knees seemed like 
huge bony balls,— a ghastly sight, filthy, 
helpless, degraded. He was far too weak 
to stand alone. 

FIRST AID 

Solid food would not digest in such a 
stomach, yet he was starving. When he 
saw us pause to look at him, he touched his 
forehead to say "Salaam," and then his 
empty stomach to show his great need. One 
could not resist his pathetic appeal. We 
bought him a measure of parched peas; but 
how could a skeleton receive them? He had 
no pockets, for he wore no clothes. Spread- 
ing a clean white handkerchief on the ground, 
we poured the peas into it, and gave them 
to him; then with a sigh we turned away 
with the thought, "He will die in a few 
hours." 



Was It Worth While? 195 

After filling the tonga boxes with our 
purchases, we sang a hymn. This drew a 
crowd of listeners about us, and we told 
them of Jesus and His power to save; for 
these large markets afford splendid oppor- 
tunities to preach, dispose of tracts, and win 
the hearts of the heathen. 

Before leaving the market, we went again 
to the place where we had met the man in 
need; and when we found him, a new thought 
presented itself. Christianity was being chal- 
lenged. Hindus passed by, but did not help ; 
Mohammedans did the same. There were 
no Christians in that vast throng of human 




The Way We Travel Our Country Roads 



196 Fruit from the Jungle 

beings save us two missionaries. Should 
Christianity and her representatives pass by, 
and leave this needy man to die like a dog? 
The heathen system of religion had brought 
him to this sad state, and now, indifferent to 
his great need, its people moved on uncon- 
cerned. "Actions speak louder than words;" 
and here was an opportunity to hold up 
Christ to the masses in a practical way, and 
possibly to save a soul from death. We 
asked the beggar his name; and in a pitiful 
voice he replied, "Rama." He had no home, 
and slept beside the road, or wherever night 
cast her mantle of darkness over him. 

"Will you get into the tonga, and go home 
with us? We have milk, clothes, and shelter 
for you, and will give you all the care you 
need," we said. 

Rama quickly signified his willingness to 
go, and grasped his hoe (his only possession, 
which in his weakness he could scarcely lift) 
the closer, as if it might some day help him 
earn his daily bread. 

AN EARTH DIGGER 

All heathen in India belong to some special 
caste. On inquiry, we found that Rama 
was a wadari, or earth digger. These people 



Was It Worth While? 



197 



are very ignorant and poor, and roam from 
place to place, living in low grass huts or 
in small tents made of ragged patchwork. 
For food, they snare rabbits, quail, and other 
small game; they also relish roasted rats and 
lizards. They do not attend school, and are 
considered of so low a caste that -they do 
not need to know letters or their ages. They 
need not know much in order to dig earth; 
so the Hindus leave them to themselves, to 
live and die as ignorant as they were born. 




A Feat op Strength— Loaded 
with Iron Chains 



A "Sadu," or "Holy Man' 



198 Fruit from the Jungle 

We helped Rama to the front step of our 
tonga (he could not sit up on the seat, so 
sat on the floor), drove home as quickly as 
possible, gently assisted him to a little house 
near our carriage shed, and gave him some 
bags for a bed, and a blanket for covering. 
He drank a bowl of warm milk, and we 
said, "Nezar" ("Good night"), and left him 
to rest. 

On making our rounds in the morning, we 
found Rama shivering with the cold, al- 
though, to our way of thinking, the day was 
warm and sultry. He had so little fuel to 
feed the engine of life, that his condition was 
far from normal. His flesh looked parched 
and dry, like a piece of old leather. 

We propped him up beside a tree in the 
warm morning sunlight, and read to him a 
short Bible chapter; but he said he did not 
understand. We talked about God, the 
Father of us all; but he had never heard 
"Our Father which art in heaven." He was 
not stupid, but ignorant of all that Christian 
men hold in common. We prayed for him, 
and left him to bask in the sunshine. 

As soon as our orphan lads had their noon- 
day meal, we called the older ones to help 
us make Rama more comfortable. First we 



Was It Worth While? 199 

cut off the long locks of hair; then, using 
plenty of soap, warm water, and a scrubbing 
brush, we gave him a good bath, cut his long 
nails, and rubbed about a pint of coconut 
oil over his parched body. For several days, 
this treatment was repeated, until the old 
skin peeled off, and new appeared. We gave 
him clean clothes, which made him very com- 
fortable. 

Once Rama wandered off to the bazaar, 
or market, practically crawling on his hands 
and knees. While there, he begged raw 
carrots to eat, which made him deathly sick. 

The mission boys daily prayed for Rama; 
and in a short time, he began to show signs 
of improvement. For many weeks, he was 
unable to walk, having entirely lost the use 
of his knees. One night, with assistance, he 
attended our boys' evening devotions. That 
evening, special prayer was offered. Rama 
sat in wonder, and listened to all that was 
said. We sang the chorus, 

"I love Jesus. He's my Saviour. 
Jesus smiles, and loves me too." 

Suddenly a gleam of light passed over 
Rama's countenance; he had caught the spirit 
and meaning of that song. It did him good, 



200 Fruit from the Jungle 

gave him a new hope, a new desire; so we 
repeated the song again and again. Then we 
asked, "Do you want this Saviour too?" 

"Yes," was the quick reply. 

We all knelt, and unitedly and earnestly 
prayed that Rama might be converted to 
Christ that night. He prayed for himself, 
and said, "O Lord, make me happy too." 
Suddenly the Spirit of God touched his 
spirit, and the great change took place. By 
faith, he became a Christian, and confessed 
and accepted Christ, our Redeemer. 

Rama has never been the same since that 
night. Old things passed away, and all 
things became new. Then he followed Christ 
in baptism, took a bold stand before the 
world, and has since prayed and testified as 
well as given his offerings to the Lord. 

DAYS OF FAMINE 

Famine pressed in upon us from all sides, 
until we were surrounded by hundreds of 
starving people who cried for labor and 
bread. Water was very scarce, and we 
gave it out a cup at a time. We employed 
about five hundred of these poor people for 
eight months. Rama willingly joined their 
ranks, and labored with the rest for six cents 



Was It Worth While? 201 

a day. He was able to testify for Christ and 
what had been done for him, thus proving a 
valuable witness before many souls. 

During this famine period, the missionaries 
in the country gathered the boys and girls 
who have since become such a noble army 
for Christ in the church of India. Among 
the young people, we gathered in one. Shanti- 
Bai, who became a Christian shortly after 
coming to us. Her brother and aunt also 
joined our ranks. For a few days, Shanti- 
Bai attended our girls' school; but to her 
it was irksome. She preferred her old work, 
laboring in stone and mortar with the others 
of her lot. 

It was difficult to find places for all these 
people. Rama had a little loft over the sheep 





.. / 


f 


j ( ,J 




i 



■ 



An Indian Woman Cooking Bread 



202 Fruit from the Jungle 

pen in our barn, where he slept happily and 
peacefully. He had grown as fat as an 
Eskimo, and was always ready to do any 
kind of work. He made his own bread, if 
not the best in the world. 

One day, he had better bread than usual; 
and when we inquired the reason for this, he 
told us that Shanti-Bai had made it. He 
had concluded that a woman could make 
better bread than a man, and had engaged 
Shanti-Bai to make his bread always. I 
am sure no one could object to this plan. 

A CHRISTIAN WEDDING 

As the famine drew to a close, and the 
people were soon to depart to their respective 
villages, it was decided to celebrate the oc- 
casion with a Christian wedding. This was 
a novel thing in these parts, as nothing 
of the kind had ever taken place. Rama 
and Shanti-Bai were the honored couple. 
Surely the mission could afford to give 
Shanti-Bai a new sardi, or dress, costing 
about fifty cents, and Rama a white suit and 
a red turban. The wedding was solemnized 
in the large front hall of the mission house, the 
place used regularly for meetings. Every- 



Was It Worth While? 203 

body was invited, although no cards were 
sent out. 

When the day arrived, the place was 
crowded with animated faces. The room had 
been decorated with cartloads of green boughs 
and pink oleander blossoms. The wedding 
march was a gospel hymn. The boys and 
girls sat in a solid phalanx on the floor, 
clothed in their red, white, and blue costumes, 
while they chanted beautiful Christian songs 
in their native tongue, clapping their hands 
together on the chorus, in which their voices 
swelled with delightful rhythm and unison. 
What a happy moment! Happy, yes, very 
happy, never to be forgotten! 

The couple were self-possessed, and an- 
swered all the questions readily. The prayer 
and benediction over, congratulations were in 
order. As the happy pair turned toward 
the audience, I first shook hands with the 
groom and then with the bride; but the oc- 
casion was too much for her, and suddenly, 
to my amazement, she threw her arms around 
me, and cried, "Oh, papa! Oh, papa!" The 
audience joined in a hearty laugh, and every- 
body offered congratulations and good wishes. 

The couple were treated to English bread 
and jam, then escorted to their new home in 



204 Fruit from the Jungle 

one of our mission houses. They were de- 
lighted with the goat's hair blankets, brass 
ware, and other useful articles presented to 
them by their many Christian friends. Thus 
they began life anew. 

For several years, they have been walk- 
ing in the narrow way. Their humble but 
happy Christian home has been blessed with 
two children. The boy died; but the little 
girl lives, and is being trained as a Christian 
child. These parents labor for their daily 
bread, attend the services of the house of 
God, and have the common comforts of life. 
How much better off they are to-day than 
they used to be! "He that winneth souls 
is wise." 



CHAPTER XIV 




"One Sows, Another Reaps" 

HE word of God teaches us to "sow 
beside all waters." At times, we may 
be tempted to think it almost useless 
to work among certain classes of 
God's fallen creatures, who may not 
readily receive the message, and whose in- 
different attitude leads us to conclude that 
they are beyond the reach of the gospel. 
There is no greater mistake than this. 

We should never forget that "God is no 
respecter of persons;" that every man, 
whether black or white, has a soul to be 
saved or lost. Perhaps the reason why more 
are not reached, is because of some failure 
on our part in the use of the means pro- 
vided. It is our business, then, to "cast the 
net on the right side of the ship;" and with 
the divine blessing on our labors, we are 
sure to inclose "a great multitude of fishes." 
No one was ever caught in the gospel net 
whom God could not bless and use for His 
own glory. The chief business of every 
Christian should be to save souls; but, alas, 
how few who profess Christ make that their 

(205) 



206 Fruit from the Jungle 

first business! We have proved repeatedly, 
in our mission work in India, that it pays 
to sow the seed at every opportunity, though 
we may never foresee "whether shall prosper, 
either this or that, or whether they both shall 
be alike good." 

The tendency of the natural heart is to 
endeavor to win the most attractive to Christ, 
those who have education, position, and 
wealth. But Jesus, our model, was ever as 
eager to lift up the leper and the beggar as 
the rich man and the Pharisee. 



THE BEGGAKS OF INDIA 



In many of the large towns in India may 
be found a certain class of human beings 
pushed outside the city walls, and not per- 
mitted to live alongside of others. These 
people are usually very poor, and their os- 
tracism makes it all the more difficult for 
them to get on in the world. Pride and 
selfishness exalt one and put down another, 
but the religion of Jesus Christ raises all to 
one high yet humble plane of common in- 
terests. Selfishness never thinks of the wel- 
fare of others, but only of its own; and it 
is this evil thing that drives a certain class 
of poor creatures outside the city walls, treats 





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208 Fruit from the Jungle 

them as outcasts, and cuts them off from 
every advantage or opportunity of gaining 
happiness and improvement. 

Such a group of beggars, illiterate, scantily 
clad, and very poor, had made for themselves 
outside the city wall low mud houses, and 
thatched them with cotton stalks and jungle 
grass. Just about sunset, when the people 
returned from their day's toil, and while 
their scanty evening meal was being pre- 
pared, we used to visit them, and sitting 
with them on logs and straw mats, read the 
Bible and sing and pray. We usually took 
as large a company of Christians as possible 
for our service. The poor people seemed to 
appreciate our visits, and endeavored in every 
way to make us as comfortable as they could 
with their scanty conveniences. We were 
deeply moved by their need, and longed to 
lead them into the light of the gospel. 

A HINDU PRIEST 

One day, we observed an aged man among 
these beggars, and by his salmon-colored 
gown and long hair, knew him for a Hindu 
priest. During the meeting, he gave special 
attention; and after the service, I felt im- 
pressed to tell him I wished he could read 



'One Sows, Another Reaps' 



209 



for himself our precious Bible, which is like 
a bright lamp in a dark night, enabling us 
to see the path ahead. To my surprise, he 
quickly responded, "I can read it." Then 
I pointed out certain portions to him; and 
although it was scarcely light, he made out 
the words very well indeed. I asked him if 
he would constantly read the Bible if I gave 
him one. 

"Oh, yes," was the quick reply. 

By this time, my curiosity was somewhat 
aroused, and I ventured to ask him more 
about himself. He offered no objections, 
and replied freely to my interrogations, tell- 




A Hindu Pkiest at Worship 



Shuuker, a Devotee of Siva 



210 Fruit from the Jungle 

ing me that he had been a Hindu priest for 
twenty years. But it was late, and we had 
practically held two meetings that night, so 
we hastened home, praying earnestly that 
God would bless the seed sown that day. 

FASTING FOR VICTORY 

At such times, fasting and prayer always 
bring rich returns; so we denied ourselves 
for Jesus' sake, and pleaded for special vic- 
tories. The following day, after marking 
certain portions of the New Testament, we 
carried a Bible to this inquirer, and had the 
pleasure of hearing him read from it. He 
was delighted with the gift, and promised 
again to make it a special study. About 
that time, many Bibles were distributed in 
that locality to those who showed a desire to 
know more about the word of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

Can you imagine our joy when, a few 
days later, the old priest came to a Christian 
service in our home, bringing his wife and 
children with him, and formally announced 
that through reading this Bible, he was con- 
vinced of the truth of the gospel, and his 
one great desire was to become a Christian? 
We prayed for them, that their sins might 



"One Sows, Another Reaps" 211 

be forgiven; and they all professed to ac- 
cept Christ as their personal Saviour. It 
was our habit, as soon as believers had really 
taken the one great step of repentance, to 
baptize them, in order to bury the past, and 
cut off their heathen associations. 

We were to leave that station for an- 
other, and arranged for the old priest and 
his family to accompany us for the baptism. 
We gave him the name of Samuel at that 
time; for in some ways, he appeared to us 
like an old prophet, in his long robe, and 
with his long hair and beard. Samuel gave 
up his tobacco pipe, and his opium and hemp 
smoking; but he had many a struggle with 
the enemy over these habits. Soon after 
the incident recited above took place, we 
began special seasons of prayer daily at 
6 a. m. Samuel was always present, and 
took great delight in the early morning 
devotions. His life was very consistent, and 
from the first, a model to some who had 
been longer in the way. 

THE RESULTS OF EARLY INFLUENCES 

But there was a secret in Samuel's life; 
and for some time, he did not disclose it to 
us. Did we not say that "one sows, and 



212 Fruit from the Jungle 

another reaps"? This had been the case in 
Samuel's experience. One day, as I sat in 
a quiet spot talking with our old Christian 
brother, he opened his heart, and told me 
the secret of his conversion. He had cast, 
off the garb of the Hindu priest; and with 
my own hands, I had cut off the symbols of 
Hinduism; and to us, Samuel was now in 
every respect a real brother in Christ. Per- 
haps our kindly attitude toward him had 
inspired confidence, so that he wanted us 
to know him as he really was. 

Years before, when he was yet a little 
boy, he had worked for a minister of the 
Church of England who was evidently a sin- 
cere Christian, and desirous that all about 
him accept the God he loved and served. 
This man had taken a great interest in 
Samuel, which grew into a real friendship, 
and he had improved the opportunity to sow 
the seed of truth in the heart of the young 
lad. There were several years, he said, when 
he considered entering the service of God; 
but the work of repentance had not gone 
deep enough into his heart, his better judg- 
ment was overcome, and he had spent most 
of his life in the service of the devil, wan- 
dering over the country as a sa&u, or priest. 



"One Sows , Another Reaps" 213 

Thus to smother the sacred influences which 
still strove with him, and to dispel all light, 
he had sold himself to the enemy, and became 
a heathen priest. He acknowledged that 
the whole system was only one of deception 
and black arts. 

BECOMES A "HOME FATHER" 

The quiet dignity of this brother, and his 
kindly influence in our work, led us to as- 
sign to him the very important position of 
"home father" in our boys' orphanage school. 
It was a pleasure to listen to his mature ex- 
hortations to his countrymen. His arguments 
were solid and convincing; and for months, 
he was a real support in the establishment of 
God's kingdom among his people. But 
gradually his health gave way, and he sick- 
ened and died. We did not realize how highly 
we had esteemed him, until he was gone. 

The funeral service held over his remains 
was a very impressive one. When Christ 
returns, we shall confidently look for Samuel 
among those who now sleep in the dust of 
the earth. 

The seed was sown in youth, and gathered 
in old age, but just in time for the garner 
of the Lord. 




(214) 



CHAPTER XV 




Beaten for Christ's Sake 

LESSED are ye, when men shall 
revile you, and persecute you, and 
shall say all manner of evil against 
you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, 
and be exceeding glad: for great is 
your reward in heaven: for so persecuted 
they the prophets which were before you." 
As far as we could ascertain, missionaries 
had never preached the gospel in Floodtown, 
where we decided to open a new mission. It 
was a well watered, rich, and prosperous dis- 
trict. Large areas of cotton, grain, and fruit 
were cultivated, and the annual income was 
abundant. The heathen residing in these 
towns and villages lived on, quite undis- 
turbed in the practice of their fiendish rites 
and superstitious customs. Without doubt, 
some, perhaps many, of the upper classes 
had come in contact with the foreigner, and 
understood that his religion was very dif- 
ferent from their own; but no glimmer of 
light had reached the masses of the people. 
Our first effort among them was the dis- 
posal by sale of small portions of the Scrip- 

(215) 



216 Fruit from the Jungle 

tures, tracts, and leaflets. Not many, how- 
ever, ventured to purchase these; and the 
few who did so were very shy, lest they bring 
the censure of their caste people upon them- 
selves. As we frequented their daily bazaar 
to purchase goods, they often drew them- 
selves aside, as if our shadow or touch might 
possibly break their caste or defile them. At 
first, the sensation of being regarded as al- 
together unclean is not very pleasant; but 
at such times, these words are a comfort: 
"As He is, so are we in this world." 

That unseen but conscious evil power so 
often realized by the child of the living God 
in heathen lands, was very prevalent in this 
field of labor. At times, we observed the 
snarling criticism of several as we passed 
through their streets, and by their shrinking 
from us, were constantly made to feel that 
we were not wanted. The situation was de- 
pressing, 'and often convinced us that we 
were working against the strongholds of 
Satan. 

Sometimes we formed a small circle in the 
main thoroughfares of the town, and, as 
best we could, presented the gospel message; 
but as often we felt it come back in our 
faces. For a long time, it seemed as if 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 217 

absolutely no impression was being made 
on these stony hearts. Our only hope lay 
in the little companies of children we had 
collected in different parts of the town, and 
these among the lower castes, where we en- 
deavored to carry on school work in a very 
simple manner. The children seemed to 
feel our affection for and interest in them, 
and in nearly every instance, responded in a 
satisfactory manner. 

Since no real impression was being made 
upon the people of that town, we decided to 
visit some of the smaller villages in the out- 
lying districts. Whether or not we were 
merely a curiosity to the villagers, we can- 
not say. But we were sure our efforts among 
them were not altogether in vain; for many 
of them, coming into town to the regular 
weekly market, would greet us with smiling 
faces, as if they regarded us as friends. A 
few gradually lost their timidity, and came 
to our house to ask questions and get ac- 
quainted. 

When the cold season came on, we planned 
to visit several distant villages in our dis- 
trict, and at least introduce ourselves and 
our mission. On one of these trips, we 
gathered a comparatively large congrega- 



218 Fruit from the Jungle 

tion. We sought to be very discreet in all 
we said, so as not to be misunderstood, and 
for a while held their undivided attention; 
but almost in an instant, there arose a mur- 
mur, and we felt that they too were against 
us. Suddenly a stone struck one of us on 
the head. 

With as little notice of the incident as 
possible, we proceeded in our remarks, when 
another missile fell, then another and an- 
other. Thicker and faster they fell, in a 
perfect shower, so that the listeners dis- 
persed, and we were left in the midst of 
the excited, angry crowd. It would have 
been unwise to run, as they would have 
thought us cowards and guilty of miscon- 
duct; so we stood our ground as best we 
could. At first, we thought that perhaps 
it was only a boyish prank; but when we 
saw men engaged in the affair, we knew 
they were angry because we were preaching. 

It was a satisfaction to us to know that 
we had been very careful in all we had said; 
but as in the days of the apostles there was 
a class of unbelieving Jews who stirred up 
the people, so now there were those who were 
stirring up against us the minds of our 
Hindu brethren who desired to listen. It 




P. R. Shindi and Family 

He is one of our Marathi S. D. A. preachers. 

(219) 



220 Fruit from the Jungle 

was the Mohammedans who threw the stones, 
and who, jealous lest we convert the Hindus, 
sought thus to insult us openly. Many times 
we tried to reach the people of that place, 
but nearly always had to leave in a shower 
of stones. 

For a time, we thought we must not be 
easily discouraged, and should persist; but 
after being bruised with stones several times, 
we concluded to let this village rest for a 
time. The report of the treatment we re- 
ceived in that one place spread from village 
to village, and doubtless emboldened others; 
for it was often our lot to be pelted with 
stones while conducting a gospel service. 

One afternoon, three of us missionaries 
planned to visit a near-by village for the first 
time. As usual, we were all dressed in the 
white suits customary in the tropics, and 
wore white sun hats. Our carriage top 
also was white; and as we drove into the 
village, I imagine we presented a neat and 
attractive appearance. But not so when we 
drove out. 

The village was built upon a hill, and was 
approached by a road that circled around it. 
As we drew near, we heard the bells in the 
temple ringing at the opening of the eve- 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 221 

ning worship, accompanied by the blasts of 
conchs and the beating of a tom-tom, and 
had to wait for the noise to cease before we 
opened our service. No sooner had we begun 
to sing than from all sides the men of the 
village flocked to us in great curiosity; and 
in less than ten minutes, we had a large con- 
gregation, intent on learning the reason for 
our sudden appearance. It was not long 
before they were satisfied. 

The bells and the tom-tom had been used 
to wake up the slumbering village idol, as 
is done twice in twenty-four hours. We 
thought of the address of the apostle Paul 
on Mars' Hill, "Whom ... ye ignorantly 
worship, Him declare I unto you." We oc- 
cupied a similar position, and were address- 
ing a people who were, like the Athenians, 
"in all things . . . too superstitious." So 
we announced our text, "He that keepeth 
Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep," and 
endeavored as tactfully as possible to lead 
the people to see the absurdity of their ef- 
fort to wake up with a daily clamor their 
handmade idols of huge blocks of stone. 
Then we pointed out to them the wonders 
of creation, and that all these are the work 
of the living God, who alone is worthy to 



222 Fruit from the Jungle 

be worshiped, and who has said, "Thou shalt 
have no other gods before Me." 

In the midst of our remarks, a high-caste 
boy stepped forward suddenly, and in a most 
commanding tone shouted, "Buss! Buss!" 
meaning, "Stop! Stop!" He said it with 
all the venom of a heart full of sin. When 
we did not buss, but proceeded with our re- 
marks, the young commander again came 
forward, and the shout of "Buss! Buss!" 
rang out on the twilight air. By this time, 
the congregation had increased in size. To 
add to the embarrassment of our position, 
droves of buffaloes, cows, bullocks, and goats 
were halloed through the main street directly 
in front of us. There we stood, with hand 
uplifted, talking to the angry multitudes on 
the hillside. Clouds of dust rose from 
thousands of feet, boys were shouting at 
their flocks and herds; and no sooner had 
the cattle passed in front of us than down 
came a brick, which we escaped by stepping 
back. 

We hoped to persuade these people by 
kindness, but the very devils seemed stirred 
among them. Suddenly they rushed down 
the hillside with stones, clubs, bricks, hand- 
fuls of cow manure, and pelted us well with 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 223 

whatever they could grasp. We saw no 
reason for such a demonstration, and stood 
our ground in the public highway, with the 
hope of leading them to a better turn of 
mind. But, no; the light had fallen upon 
them that the gods they worshiped were only 
gods of earth and stone, and they were 
furious. Conscious that our lives were in 
danger, we jumped into our carriage, and 
drove away amid a storm of oaths and 
missiles. 

Our hearts melted within us in pity and 
sympathy for these deluded souls; but they 
would not receive us, so we had to leave 
them. It is a pleasure to add that some time 
later we visited that very town, and talked 
to the people about Christ and His power 
to save, and all we had with us was our 
Bible, songbooks, and lantern. They did 
not refer to their former treatment and our 
rude reception in their village; and we were 
careful not to mention it, nor in any way 
to leave the impression that we were in the 
least afraid of them. 

On the evening of our second visit, we 
gathered a company in their village rest- 
house, and told them of the plan of salvation. 
They listened till a late hour; then we de- 

15 



224 Fruit from the Jungle 

cided to sleep there, and using our coats for 
a cover and our books for a pillow, lay 
down without bed or blanket, and slept as 
well as in bed at home. They knew who 
and what we were, and seemed overcome by 
our kindness. Since that time, that particu- 
lar village has been open to the gospel. Some 
determination was required on our part to 
gain this village, but love conquered. Not a 
bit more easy was it to gain admission into 
other villages in that locality. One instance 
will illustrate. 

Desiring to bridge over, if possible, the 
wide chasm of national customs and color, 
and wishing to become all things to all men, 
if thus by any means we might save some, 
two of us agreed that we would dress as na- 
tives for a few days and go out among the 
people, hoping thereby to get nearer to 
them, and possibly make them feel that we 
did not regard ourselves as better than they. 
Two of our native Christian young men, 
who served as schoolmasters in our mission, 
accompanied us. 

We planned a trip on foot that would last 
for several days, and possibly weeks, and 
therefore went equipped for such an absence. 
Each carried over his shoulder a blanket, 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 



225 



neatly folded. We also had two lanterns, 
and cloth bags containing rice, flour, and a 
few other things. Great simplicity was our 
aim; and although it meant discomfort and 
self-denial on our part, we did not mind it 
if we might thereby learn a better way of 
approach to an indifferent and hostile people. 
With this idea in mind, and in this simple 
Eastern fashion, we four started out full 
of hope and prayer. 

The first day, we walked about ten miles 
over dusty roads in the hot sun, and about 




Bombay's Long-Horned Bull 



Spread of horns - 
Length of horns 



5 feet, 11 inches 
- 3 feet, 4 inches 



226 Fruit from the Jungle 

four o'clock in the afternoon came to a 
small village situated on the high banks of a 
large river. After eating a light lunch for 
our evening meal, we called the villagers to- 
gether, and conducted a service. The chief 
men of the town gathered for this meeting, 
and every one seemed pleased. 

We had thought of spending the night near 
an old temple on the river bank; but as we 
started to go, a tumult arose among the 
people, and they became so excited that we 
could not gather one distinct sentence uttered 
by them. They stopped us by main force, 
and said we must not leave their town that 
night. For a few moments, we persisted; 
but when we saw that trouble would result, 
we planned to remain where we were. Then 
they built a big fire in the middle of the 
town for a light, brought a long spear and 
several torches, and in great excitement 
chattered away till midnight. 

We pretended we were not concerned, and 
lay down in the resthouse and tried to sleep. 
Our ten-mile walk and the late service had 
somewhat worn us, and we were exceedingly 
weary. We could not tell what was in the 
minds of the people; but one thing was cer- 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 227 

tain, — they proposed to keep us shut up in 
their village and in that resthouse that night. 

Whenever we opened our eyes during the 
night, we saw a watchman looking at us — and 
it is not easy to fall asleep under such cir- 
cumstances. Daylight the following morn- 
ing was most welcome. We ate our food 
and prepared to leave. But lest they should 
misunderstand our mission, we again preached 
to them, said "Salaam," and departed. That 
day, we did not go many miles. We crossed 
the river, and held services in a village on 
the other side. Here we had a pleasant day. 
For the first time, many came, and listened 
to the glad tidings. It had been very hot 
and sultry, and we were glad to wade nearly 
up to our necks in water as we crossed the 
river. On the banks of this river, we pre- 
pared our evening meal, washed and dried 
our dirty garments, and decided to spend 
the night in a third village, a little farther 
down the stream. 

In going to this third place, we had to 
pass by the one we had first visited. We 
did not mind this, for we were in the public 
highway, and on a government road. It was 
about sundown. The roads were deep with 
dust, so that whenever we stepped, our feet 



228 Fruit from the Jungle 

were buried almost out of sight. I have 
never seen such roads anywhere else. No 
sooner had we come in front of the village 
where we had been detained the previous 
night, than a company of men came out 
with clubs, and commanded us in rough 
tones to turn into their village again. We 
said "No," and pursued our course up the 
hill, walking single file, as the road was 
narrow. It took a few moments for notice 
to be given in the village; then about fifty 
men, each armed with a club, came after us. 
I first heard the whack! whack! of their sticks 
as they beat the native masters who were in 
the rear of the line, followed by the remon- 
strance of my fellow missionary. Then I, 
who was leading the line, felt several sharp 
cuts of bamboo clubs on my back, arms, and 
head. 

Fearing lest we should be killed, we 
yielded with as good grace as possible, and 
turned back with them. But the angry mob 
did not seem satisfied to beat us and drag 
us carelessly; they persisted in tearing off 
nearly all our clothing. They led us to the 
resthouse where we had been detained the 
previous night, and threw us in with a great 
air of bravado. The legs of our poor na- 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 229 

tive boys were bleeding, and we missionaries 
were stiff and sore. But there was nothing 
we could do; so with torn garments, dusty 
bodies, and palpitating hearts, surrounded 
by that angry mob, all yelling at the top 
of their voices, we sat down on the mud 
floor and silently looked at them. 

The whole town heard the uproar, and in 
a short time all turned out to see what the 
excitement might be. No doubt some will 
wonder how we felt, and if we kept our 
patience under these circumstances. It was 
no time to think of revenge; the angry na- 
tives, in their state of frenzy, would have 
made short work of us. So we kept as cool- 
headed and quiet and pleasant as possible. 
Personally, I wanted to live a while longer, 
and I knew that the quieter I was, the 
sooner they would become more sane. Some 
pretended they were sorry, and asked if 
they should get us water or milk to drink; 
but we refused to accept anything, fearing 
they might try to poison us. After such 
rough treatment, it seemed the most inap- 
propriate thing in the world to seek to en- 
tertain us with oily tongues. 

They set a watchman that night also, and 
looked with wild and unsympathetic gaze 



230 Fruit from the Jungle 

upon us in our helplessness. We thought of 
Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, and 
longed to conduct ourselves as wisely as 
they. The previous night, we had slept but 
little; and now with bleeding legs and swol- 
len bodies, we slept less on the vermin- 
infested mud floor of the native resthouse. 
One old heathen stretched himself on a cot 
to rest; and every time he turned over in the 
night, he called upon the name of his god 
for help, shouting out, "Ram! Ram!" This 
did not add slumber to our weary eyes. 

With thankful hearts we beheld the light 
of the next day. As soon as possible, we 
dispatched one of our native masters, tell- 
ing him, in English, to go straight home, 
and have one of the missionaries return in a 
carriage for us. Had the natives known our 
plan, they would not have allowed the man 
to go. Then we requested the head man of 
the village to provide us with a bullock 
cart, in which we might start for home; but 
he paid no attention to our request. 

One of the laws under British rule in In- 
dia is that any European in need of a con- 
veyance shall be provided the same, paying 
a small sum for its use. We tried to im- 
press this upon the mind of the head man, 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 231 

but to no avail. We were too sore to walk, 
and had little heart to undertake it after 
the severe treatment of the night before. 
Finally we made a bold effort, and lighten- 
ing our burdens by leaving our foodstuffs 
behind, we sauntered off, and up the hill 
from which we had been so unceremoniously 
dragged the day before. 

Just before we left, however, four of the 
chief men of the town departed in a cart 
drawn by a fine pair of young bullocks — 
an act suggesting trouble ahead of some sort. 
We had reason to think that orders had been 
given to keep us there, and to watch all 
our movements. No sooner had we reached 
the top of the hill than a large, powerful, 
black native, with club in hand, came up and 
demanded that we return to the village. A 
few positive words expressed to him our 
citizenship, and our determination to press 
homeward; so he allowed us to pass on. 
There were several villages on the way home, 
and we felt sure those four men in the cart 
ahead of us would, if possible, make trouble. 

We had gone perhaps two miles or more 
when we saw another village. With re- 
pressed voices, we hurried on, hoping we 
might pass unnoticed and unharmed. But, 



232 Fruit from the Jungle 

no; as soon as we came up fairly in front 
of the place, out came three strong-bodied 
mdhars (low-caste fellows), each with a 
stick in his hand, and catching us with a 
jerk by the nape of the neck, pulled us 
into the center of the town, and before a 
large crowd of men seated in the chowdie, 
or resthouse. Then they demanded to know 
who and what we were. We kindly but 
positively told them we were missionaries, 
that we had molested no one, and that our 
aim was to do the people good. They bade 
us be seated. We asked why they had ar- 
rested us in the public highway. To this 
they made no response, so we said "Salaam" 
and departed. 

With quick step we hastened homeward, 
dreading the next village we had to pass, 
and all the while longing for our missionary 
friend to drive up with the carriage for which 
we had sent. Presently we came to a clump 
of shade trees and sat down to rest, thank- 
ing God that our lives had been spared. 
Soon our carriage came, and took us home, 
and thus ended our anxiety. 

Doubtless a query has arisen in the mind 
of the reader as to the reason for all this 
trouble, and the unfriendly attitude of the 



Beaten for Christ's Sake 233 

villagers. Some might think it was due to 
the native costumes we had worn, but that 
was not the case. We afterward learned 
that an old Hindu priest in the first village 
had recognized us, and before our entrance, 
had lied to the people about us. No matter 
what we said or did, they believed the priest; 
in fact, they as much as told us that the 
reason they beat us was because they had 
been told we were spies for a band of fifty 
robbers hid away in the mountains. The 
old priest well knew that we were the serv- 
ants of Jesus Christ; and he feared that 
his religion would be exposed, and perhaps 
his gain lost, if the people received us. 
Hence all our difficulty and suffering. 

From this account, no one need think 
that such treatment of missionaries by the 
natives is common. The hand of British 
rule in India does not allow that. The whole 
affair came to the ears of the European su- 
perintendent of the district police. He visited 
us, and insisted on our taking several police- 
men and arresting those villagers. He would 
not let us off, claiming that if they were al- 
lowed to treat missionaries in that way, it 
would be but a short time before other 
Europeans would be insulted, and such de- 



234 Fruit from the Jungle 

fiance of British rule would never do. We 
readily saw the point, and consented to do as 
he requested. 

With a police force, we rode up to the 
village, and they arrested about fifty men, 
taking each name down very carefully, thus 
frightening the natives well. Then we went 
to the superintendent of police, and begged 
him to drop the matter, promising that if 
any disturbance occurred again, we would 
report the matter to him. Of course, the 
news spread throughout the district, and had 
a salutary effect upon the minds of the na- 
tives. Since then the gospel has been pro- 
claimed in all those villages, and no one 
has been molested; but that field is still con- 
sidered one of the strongholds of Satan, 
and the people are hard to move. 

In closing, let me say that one does oc- 
casionally read of missionaries being roughly 
handled by native mobs in different parts, 
and once in a while one is killed. In one 
instance in my own experience, poison was 
placed in a beverage served me by the na- 
tives, because I had discovered some of their 
wrongdoing. But usually the lives of mis- 
sionaries are as safe in India as in the 
homeland. 



CHAPTER XVI 




A Free Camel Ride 

HOUSANDS of men in America do 
not wish to have the gospel preached 
to them; and if they could have their 
way, all the churches would be closed. 
This only reveals their sinful condi- 
Of such as these the Saviour said: 
will not come to Me, that ye might 
have life," and, "Men loved darkness rather 
than light, because their deeds were evil." 
Conditions in some lands are quite different 
from this, and many souls really long for 
preachers and teachers. They have had their 
own way long enough, and are heartily sick 
and tired of it. 

Many instances might be given of earnest 
requests to come and preach Christ in India. 
The following is one of these, but as yet no 
one has accepted the invitation: 

Some years ago a young high-caste Hindu, 
Tazaram Rai Budahamal, attended a mission 
school in North India. He did not become 
a Christian, however, although he was con- 
vinced of the superiority of the religion of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Tazaram was an 

(235) 



236 Fruit from the Jungle 

exceptionally intelligent young fellow, and 
not only made a thorough success of all his 
studies in the English language, but after 
leaving school succeeded in obtaining a high 
position in the India service of the British 
government. He set his heart upon the ac- 
cumulation of earthly treasure, and secured 
the object of his effort. 

Not long afterward, however, a great ca- 
lamity befell Tazaram, illustrating in a prac- 
tical way the lesson of the parable of the 
man who built his house upon the sand. 
When the winds blew, and the floods came, 
the house fell, and great was the fall thereof. 
For it was a flood, so common in some parts 
of India, that swept away all of Tazaram's 
earthly store. With his wife and nephew, 
he escaped, a downhearted but much wiser 
man. 

Discouraged and downcast, he turned his 
attention in another direction, and hoping to 
make another fortune, went to Southwestern 
India, the land of Goa. At the end of a 
year, however, the tide of circumstances 
proved to be against him still. About this 
time, a friend in the Forest Department of 
the government suggested a new scheme. 
Ready for a third venture, Tazaram applied 



A Free Camel Ride 



237 



to the government, and secured a large tract 
of land about one hundred and sixty miles 
from an English railroad. 



A CALL FOR HELP 



In the hope of getting cheap labor, Taza- 
ram corresponded with a missionary who had 
a number of famine refugees and native 
Christians in his charge, and who lived about 




On Camel Back 



238 Fruit from the Jungle 

sixty miles from Tazaram's village. Tazaram 
begged the mission to send workers among 
the ignorant heathen in that locality, and 
promised that poor native Christians could 
get employment on his large estate. I be- 
lieve he went so far as to offer land to the 
mission if they would only heed the call. 
There are no good roads, no post offices, 
and no markets in those parts. A chowke 
(police station) visited once a week by a 
native sepoy, or police, is the only boast of 
the town. "Bittergaon" was the Indian name 
of the town where Tazaram settled. He 
soon changed the name to "Bettergaon"; so 
instead of Bittertown, the name would sig- 
nify Bettertown. This illustrates his pro- 
gressive spirit. 

Not long after Tazaram's request for help 
was received, a missionary accompanied by 
a large squad of native converts paid a visit 
to Bettergaon, and were entertained by Taza- 
ram. They were greatly pleased with him, 
his offer, and the whole country. Had he 
been a Christian man, no doubt many native 
Christians would gladly have accepted his 
proposal; but having been made free through 
Christ, they would not become entangled 



A Free Camel Ride 239 

again in a yoke of heathen bondage, by 
serving under a Hindu gentleman. 

So the missionary and his men searched 
on several miles farther into the jungles till 
they found a vacant place that suited them 
much better. Application was made to the 
government, and a large tract of land was 
secured on certain conditions. The govern- 
ment also granted these people a loan of 
money, cattle, and carts. When these mat- 
ters were satisfactorily adjusted, about one 
hundred men and women, among the poorest 
on earth, moved to their new home in the 
wild forest. They called their village Tharan- 
poor, or Salvationtown. 

Several times a year the missionary visits 
this native Christian village. During the 
heavy rains, however, this is quite impossible, 
as there are no roads, and the jungles are 
overgrown with tall grass and reeds. The 
missionary usually carries his gun, and suc- 
ceeds in killing several wild animals. On 
each trip to the village, he visits Tazaram, 
who, although disappointed not to have all 
these people under him, still rejoices that his 
efforts to help civilize his fellows in those 
parts have not been altogether in vain. 

16 



240 Fruit from the Jungle 

This missionary casually mentioned my 
name to Tazaram, and said that I was much 
interested in just such undertakings. To my 
surprise, I received a most cordial and urgent 
invitation from Tazaram to visit him at 
Bettergaon, and I began to plan at once 
how I could make the journey. 

TRAVELING BY THE SHIP OF THE DESERT 

My home was about seventy miles from 
Tazaram's village, in a state known as "The 
Nisam's Dominions." (The Nisam is a 
prosperous Mohammedan ruler in Central 
India.) The roads were very bad; and with 
no traveling conveniences, I wondered how 
I could best cross rivers and mountains, and 
penetrate dense jungles. Finally I con- 
cluded that camels would be the most practi- 
cal means of travel. I consulted with Cap- 
tain Farrell, who lived in the same town as 
I, and he kindly offered two camels to me 
for their feed. A camel lives on jungle 
leaves and a small quantity of soaked grain 
twice a day. 

As I had never driven a camel, and these 
beasts are often ugly and unruly, Captain 
Farrell appointed a day to teach me how 
to drive. The camel he chose was a huge 




(241) 



242 Fruit from the Jungle 

young fellow, full of life. The driver 
strapped on a double saddle, and we were 
ready for a trial. Just as the captain was 
mounting, the creature leaped up with an 
ugly grunt; and soon the captain was roll- 
ing down an embankment. For a moment, 
my spirits were dampened, and I questioned 
the wisdom of learning to drive on that fel- 
low's back. But when we found that no 
injuries were sustained, we took courage 
and mounted together. 

READY FOR THE JOURNEY 

The simple method of guiding the camel 
by a little rope tied to a ring in one side of 
the animal's nose, was soon explained; and 
after one or two turns about, I felt pre- 
pared for the future with my camel, and in 
two days I was ready for the long trip. I 
had a large pith sun hat for protection 
against the sun, wore a white drill suit, took 
a lunch basket of rice, flour, salt, onions, 
butter, etc., also a blanket for a bed. I 
might have taken more, for the camel easily 
carries a very heavy load on his back. 

The captain thought best for me to take 
two men and two camels, so I consented. 
It was intensely interesting to my family 




(243) 



244 Fruit from the Jungle 

circle, especially to my little boy and girls, 
to see the two huge camels kneeling at 
the door while my basket and dress suit 
case were tied to their backs. Then came 
the handshake, the "God bless you," and the 
o-ood-by kiss. When I mounted into the 
saddle, the camel grunted as if angry, and 
preferred to lie still and chew his cud a 
while longer; but a gentle jerk of the rope 
informed him he must obey his new master 
and be off. The children screamed with 
delight to see me rise so high in the air, 
and soon we disappeared from view, passing 
through the town, and then turning oft 
toward the jungles and Bettertown. 

How strange this method of travel seemed 
— so ancient in style, yet to us so novel and 
interesting! The air felt clearer than usual, 
the view was more enchanting, and the 
strength of the huge fellow added a certain 
feeling of security. But you must know 
that the motion of the camel is very different 
from that of the horse or the elephant. He 
does not step like these animals, but has a 
peculiar method all his own. The fore and 
hind feet on the same side are thrust for- 
ward then the two feet on the other side, 
so that first the rider gets a jerk on one 



A Free Camel Ride 245 

side, then a jerk on the other; and no matter 
which way he sits or how he adjusts his 
body, he soon arrives at the conclusion that 
it is impossible to exist under such torture 
of all his muscles. One or two miles is suf- 
ficient, he thinks; but as he proceeds, his en- 
tire body aches. He becomes numb and 
sore and heartily sick of it, and actually 
feels as if the flesh all over his body were 
being pulled from the bones. Muscles that 
seldom if ever have had exercise before are 
now brought into use. They work and work, 
and swell, and get sore, and remain so until 
they lose all sensation, and finally go to 
sleep, wake up, and get sore again, until at 
the end of twenty miles the sufferer scarcely 
knows whether he is half dead or unusually 
alive. 

NEW EXPERIENCES 

Cautiously the traveler makes the camel 
sit down, and pulling his feet from the 
stirrups, he tumbles off like a football. Then 
he stands up, almost afraid to move his tired 
body. Finally he lies down on the ground, 
and stretches out, preferring oblivion to any- 
thing else in the world. But, repeating this 
experience several times, one gets accus- 



246 Fruit from the Jungle 

tomed to it, and finally can really enjoy a 

camel ride. 

The camel will walk or trot in the road, 
go in a footpath, step over brush heaps, 
rocks, and mud puddles, enter gates, and 
go in and about almost any place big enough 
for him, and seems afraid of nothing but a 
stick. If you hit him, he will whine like a 
big, lazy schoolboy. It's a joke to make him 
think you will hit him. He really seems ten- 
der-hearted, yet wise. His wisdom makes 
him pretend you are cruel to him, even when 
you compel him to kneel to mount. 

The sensation of the rider when his camel 
gets up, is that he will first pitch forward, 
headlong, and then backward, and that his 
backbone will snap in two. 

My camel came to a stream of water, and 
stretching out his long neck, drank up all 
he wanted; then he waded in and marched 
to the other side, and forward tirelessly, up 
hills, through valleys, and over dusty roads. 
Camels sometimes travel eighty miles in a 
day, and once at work, are ready for any 
amount of it. 

We passed town after town and village 
after village. The cultivated fields of cotton, 
sugar cane, and corn, as well as the fruit 




Native Drawing Sap for Making Toddy 

(247) 



248 Fruit from the Jungle 

orchards, were beautiful to look upon from 
such an exalted position. We rode through 
the towns, made inquiries, asked for water 
at the village wells where people were filling 
waterpots, and greeted everybody we saw 
with the "Salaam" of all Eastern lands. We 
saw the natives climbing the palm trees by 
hundreds, and catching the sap as it dripped 
into little black earthen jugs to be made into 
toddy, the native liquor of the country. The 
dogs" growled in the roads as we disturbed 
their peaceful slumbers, while herds of goats, 
sheep, buffaloes, and cattle stood with fixed 
gaze until we came too near, then turned 
tail, and ran for dear life in all directions — 
a most amusing sight, although the owners 
of the cattle were quite disconcerted. 

Now and then the camels would stretch 
out their long necks, and break off the ten- 
der, tempting twigs of the trees. It was 
most interesting to watch them as we drove 
beside the mango trees, which were laden 
with green fruit that looked like huge apples 
but was very acid to the taste. Casting wist- 
ful glances, my camel came nearer and 
nearer, and finally stopped and sampled these 
mangoes, crunching them down with a relish, 
the frothy juice oozing out both sides of his 



A Free Camel Ride 249 

mouth. A few times, I willingly gave the 
good fellow his liberty, and greatly to his 
satisfaction, allowed him to eat greedily. 

At sundown, we usually halted at the vil- 
lage inn, or chowdie, a mud hut about twelve 
or fifteen feet square, thatched with grass 
or cotton stalks, and only high enough in 
the center to allow us to stand erect. These 
chowdies have no windows, and are open on 
one side. My old man, the camel driver, 
called the head man, or Parteil, of the village, 
and bought grass and grain, also buttermilk 
or curds for ourselves. It was impossible to 
get a bath in such surroundings, although it 
would have been refreshing, to say the least. 
The natives generally take their daily bath 
on their front doorsteps, but we had not 
learned their ways. 

PITIFUL, UNWORKED FIELDS 

Thus day by day we pursued our journey. 
From the tops of the hills, we gained excel- 
lent views of the surrounding country. At 
one place, I counted about twenty villages, — 
villages containing thousands of human 
beings, but no schools, hospitals, courts of 
law, or other marks of civilization. Thou- 
sands here live and die, and never see a white 



250 Fruit from the Jungle 

man, never learn to read, do not even know 
their own age. Lost in the darkness of 
heathenism, they work, eat, and sleep, suffer 
and die, with no knowledge of the light of 
the gospel. Their lives are full of sin and 
bitter toil; little children herd cattle and 
grind grain, growing up like the flocks in 
the fields, to pass some day into the grave, 
with no knowledge of a Saviour or a here- 
after. 

I talked with many whom I met, and tried 
to make them feel that I cared for them 
and was interested in them. I have always 
found such people susceptible to human af- 
fection and true kindness, but the few 
heralds cannot penetrate every corner of the 
field. 

Finally we reached Bettergaon, where 
Tazaram, dressed in European costume, wel- 
comed me, and insisted that I have a glass 
of hot milk to drink. Seating me in a com- 
fortable chair in a shady spot, he gave me 
a fan, provided a wash of cool water, ordered 
dinner for me and my camel driver, and gave 
the camels their provender. Education and 
good society had made Tazaram another 
man. I felt at home witli him at once. He 
treated me as kindly as any Christian man 



A Free Camel Ride 251 

could have done. As he is a Hindu of 
high-caste birth, he could not allow me to 
eat with him or touch his food or water. 

I saw his many fields of plantain trees, 
cotton, saffron, and other crops; but what 
most concerned him was the problem of 
helping his neighbors to a better life. He 
hoped to get missionaries willing to live 
among his people at Bettergaon, and open 
schools and do medical and evangelistic work. 
Although not a Christian himself, he seems 
not far from the kingdom of God, and evi- 
dently has more faith in missionaries than 
in any one else. He offered me several acres 
of land and any assistance if I would but 
move my family there and begin work. 
Really I desired to accept the offer; hut I 
was in duty bound to other work, and hence 
had to refuse. 

From this place, I visited Salvationtown, 
eight miles farther on, in the wild jungles. 
On my way thither, I saw trees that had been 
barked by tigers sharpening their claws on 
the trunks; I also saw blue bulls large as 
moose, wild deer, and wild boar. We reached 
the village about dark, but visited the great 
Sussarkund, or waterfalls, before we went 
into our quarters. These falls are sixty feet 



252 Fruit from the Jungle 

high, and the walls of the river at this point 
are eighty feet high. A huge tiger den can 
be seen just below the falls, on the river 
banks. Wild pigeons and stately cranes flew 
about over the stream. The buffaloes and 
cattle are often destroyed by the crocodiles 
and large fish so plentiful there, as they go 
down to the river's brink to drink. 

Turning toward the village proper, we 
startled a large flock of peacocks roosting in 
a big tree, and they flew past our heads with 
wild screams, displaying their beautiful 
feathers in their flight. A huge mud house, 
with a double grass roof, had been erected 
in the village, for missionaries, and here we 
halted for the night. The missionary in 
charge of the village was there, which made 
it all the more pleasant for us. 

A CHRISTIAN VILLAGE 

The native Christians in this little town 
are very poor; and until they had harvested 
their first crop, life was hard for them. 
After a plain but tasty repast consisting of 
fried onions and wheat cakes, called chipat- 
tieSj a number of men collected on the open 
veranda of the house, and we held evening 
prayer with them, and retired for the night. 



A Free Camel Ride 253 

Our slumbers were disturbed only a few 
times, and then by the howling of wild ani- 
mals in the jungle about us. 

Among the men were a schoolmaster and 
a preacher, also a carpenter and a shoemaker. 
They told us they were very poor, and we 
promised to send every man a coat. This was 
done a few weeks later; and after that, we 
sent them two lots of secondhand clothes, 
which they seemed to appreciate. 

Before we said good-by, they wanted us to 
accept a live chicken; but we thanked them 
and gave it back. They told us they were 
greatly bothered by the invasions of wild 
animals, which destroyed their stock and 
watchdogs. They go a distance of twelve 
miles for the mail and provisions; and should 
they need a doctor, they must go twenty 
miles. 

When the time came for us to leave the 
place, we mounted our camels and set forth, 
in the same fashion that Abraham followed 
thousands of years ago. Some of the friends 
accompanied us a distance out of town; and 
before the final "salaams" were said, the mis- 
sionary shot a deer, which would furnish 
fresh meat for them for several days. 



254 Fruit from the Jungle 

The path was the same as that by which 
we came, but we saw many new sights and 
met new faces. It took seven days to make 
the trip of one hundred and twenty-five miles, 
and two weeks of rest to regain our normal 
condition physically; but we had gathered 
practical information that we could have ob- 
tained in on other way. Between our mis- 
sion home and Salvationtown, save Mr. 
Tazaram, we did not see one single mark of 
civilization or Christianity. We passed hun- 
dreds of villages that had never heard of 
Christ, and thousands of men and women 
who will have died before the gospel can 
come to them. Cholera, plague, smallpox, 
and famine are sweeping them off the earth 
faster than all the missionaries can preach. 
Who is responsible? "The harvest truly is 
great, but the laborers are few." 



CHAPTER XVII 




Work at Kopergaon 

OR several years, native preachers had 
labored for the Master at Koper- 
gaon, a typical Hindu village not far 
from the city of Ahmednaggar, and 
lying in a fertile valley covered with 
fruit orchards and well cultivated fields of 
cotton, corn, wheat, and pulse. 

Kopergaon was evidently built by the 
Marathas, who, for protection from their 
Mohammedan foes, built high walls around 
their towns and villages. Some of these walls 
are composed of huge blocks of cut stone, 
placed side by side without cement or mor- 
tar, and many of them are from twenty to 
forty feet high, with several circular towers 
at the corners and along the sides. These 
towers are reached by long flights of stone 
steps on the inside of the wall, and in olden 
times were used by the military and police 
forces. In some of these walls, which are 
from twenty to fifty feet thick, are rooms for 
ammunition and barracks. The tops of the 
walls are made flat, and topped with a sort 

17 (255) 



256 Fruit from the Jungle 

of crown work full of holes, through which 
guns may be aimed at an enemy. 

Each of these walled towns is entered by 
two enormous gateways directly opposite each 
other. The gates are made of heavy planks 
and crudely wrought iron, and the strength 
of several able-bodied men is required to open 
and close their heavy leaves. They are bolted 
at night on the inside by long beams, held 
in iron sockets. The wall above the gates is 
finished as an arch. 

Just inside the gates, and on either side, 
are open rooms about three feet from the 
road, the floors of which are made of large, 
flat rocks. In these rooms are always found 
the elders of the town, accompanied by in- 
spectors and watchmen, so that no one may 
come in or go out unobserved. Here, too, 
all the gossip of the day is carried on. 

In form, the town of Kopergaon is square, 
with one long main street perhaps twenty feet 
wide running through the center. All its 
streets are swept every day by hand; so, on 
the whole, it presents rather a neat appear- 
ance. The town is divided into sections, the 
more influential and higher castes living in 
well built houses near the front gate, and the 
artisans and lower classes occupying less 




(257) 



258 Fruit from the Jungle 

prominent places and those near the rear gate. 
Shoemakers, outcasts, and scavengers are 
not allowed to live within the town walls, 
but have their own quarters outside. 

Not far from the center of town, on 
the main street, the daily market is held. 
From about seven a. m. to eleven a. m., fresh 
vegetables, fruits, etc., are exposed for sale, 
and again from three p. m. till sunset. 
Kopergaon contains several deep wells; but 
most of the water used by the people is taken 
from the Godavari River, on whose banks 
the town stands. 

Large droves of water buffaloes, cattle, 
goats, and sheep, which are cared for during 
the day by low-caste boys, are housed in 
Kopergaon every night. During the heat 
of the day, the cattle graze along the sides 
of the river, or browse in the babul forests 
and jungles. It is interesting to see large 
droves of these buffaloes lying on the sand 
bars of the river, and rolling about in the 
water. 

Kopergaon is a sacred spot to the Hindu; 
and each year, thousands of pilgrims visit it 
to worship at some of the many shrines and 
temples erected on the river banks or out in 
the bed of the stream. A number of Brah- 



Work at Kopergaon 259 

man priests make a good income from these 
deluded pilgrims, every one of whom must 
pay a small sum to one of them for his 
services. The priest says prayers for the 
pilgrim, shaves his head and . beard, daubs 
a little vermilion or a few "sacred ashes" over 
him, and sends him forth to another place of 
deception. Thus many weary souls wander 
from place to place, frequently until they 
have spent large sums of money. 

We welcomed the orders that sent us to 
work at Kopergaon. While living there, we 
made our residence part of the time in the 
public resthouse outside the walls, and part 
of the time in a tent. My stay of several 
months was a very busy time. Usually I 
arose about six a. m., and after a light break- 
fast, visited our village school, conducted by a 
native Christian master. Those who attended 
this school were from the lower castes, and 
consequently not permitted to attend the 
government school. 

A native Christian medical man was placed 
in Kopergaon to care for the sick, and I also 
gave some time and attention to this work 
daily. One day, a man called me to his door, 
and said, "Sir, please look at my wife's eyes." 
I did so, and found her totally blind. Then 



260 Fruit from the Jungle 

he wanted to know if I could cure them; and 
when told there was no cure for blind eyes, 
he said: "If that is so, I do not want her for 
my wife. I want a wife who can see, and 
shall get me another." Of course, I re- 
monstrated with him, and tried to show him 
how necessary it was that he love her the 
more, and protect her; but he did not look 
at it that way. However, he did not put 
her away while I was there. 

Many were badly afflicted with itch, due to 
their unclean habits of living; but I found 
that if they would take a daily bath in the 
river, using common laundry soap, they could 
get rid of this trouble. 

IGNORANCE AND DEGRADATION 

Many low-caste and out-caste fathers and 
mothers pleaded with me to take their chil- 
dren and put them in school. Some of these 
children scarcely ever had a full meal to 
eat, and often begged me to provide work 
for them. They seemed ready and willing to 
do almost anything if only I would help 
them to a better condition. Often I was at 
a loss to know what to say to these needy 
people, who seemed to look to me for help, 
and who could not understand why their lot 



Work at Kopergaon 



261 



was so hard, when others had education and 
the common comforts of life. They had be- 
come so used to deprivation and poverty, as 
well as to insult and unkind treatment by 
the upper classes among their fellow na- 
tives, that they would merely say, "It's our 
nasheeb [fate], and cannot be helped." I 
endeavored to help them to see that if they 
would begin to pray to the true God in the 
name of Jesus Christ, and forsake all sin 
and idolatry, He would hear their cry, and 
in His own wise way send relief; but it 
seemed hard for such a degraded class to 
believe. False systems of religion have held 





The "Bheesty," or Water 
Carrier 



262 Fruit from the Jungle 

millions of human beings in ignorance, and 
led them into such wrongdoing as is al- 
most impossible to imagine. 

While at Kopergaon, I had the use of a 
small horse and carriage; and with this con- 
venience, the native preacher and I were 
able to visit the surrounding villages. The 
roads were crooked and unkept, many of 
them being mere cart paths through the 
grainfields. Often they led over jagged 
rocks and through the sandy or muddy river 
bottoms. Still the horse and carriage saved 
our strength; and in the hot sun, it was 
always easier as well as safer to ride than 
to walk. But whenever it rained very hard, 
and the river was swollen, we had to post- 
pone our visits to the outlying towns until 
the river fell again. In some of these small 
places, we gathered large congregations of 
eager listeners, and found it a pleasure to 
tell them of Bible truths. 

A TYPICAL SERVICE 

In one part of Kopergaon, we managed 
to win the confidence of a considerable num- 
ber of people; and when we discovered their 
receptive attitude toward our message, we 
put forth an extra effort in their behalf. 



Work at Kopergaon 263 

Early in the morning, we called on them, and 
requested that they gather that evening at 
the resthouse. Just after sundown, we began 
the meeting. 

It would tax the patience of some Ameri- 
can preachers to conduct a service amid 
such surroundings. In all directions, old 
men were squatted about; little groups of 
women chatted among themselves in sub- 
dued tones; from a dozen to twenty naked 
urchins, some of them with sore eyes black 
with flies, were playing, crying, eating corn 
bread, or rolling in the dust on the ground. 
Two or three dogs with litters of puppies 
were moving here and there; goats, buffaloes, 
and bullocks were tethered close by; and a 
number of green parrots were screeching in 
their small iron cages suspended from the 
low eaves of the thatched houses. Now and 
then some stranger entered the court, sur- 
prised to find such a company assembled, 
and a sahib (European), clad in a clean 
white suit, addressing them in their own 
tongue. 

When a dog became too familiar, perhaps 
some old man would poke it with his staff, 
and with a yelp it would go limping off. 
In the course of an hour, a dozen similar in- 



264 Fruit from the Jungle 

terruptions might occur. At times, the mis- 
sionary is tempted to think he cannot en- 
dure it; again, that work carried on against 
such odds does not pay, and that the effort 
will prove fruitless. But after a few weeks 
of such work in that one town, I was sur- 
prised to find a number of persons who had 
absorbed more of the teaching than I had 
supposed possible. Of their own accord, they 
desired to give up Hinduism, and accept 
the gospel. Such results always buoy one 
up, and stimulate to further effort. 

After some weeks of patient effort at 
Kopergaon, it was my duty to ask how many 
would take a public stand for Christ. To 
my surprise, about thirty-five came forward, 
and confessed that they saw the light of 
gospel truth as we had presented it, and were 
ready to break caste and be baptized. 

After more careful examination and a 
public call to the river banks, I baptized this 
little company. Just above the spot we had 
chosen were several huge idols in the river, 
and the Hindus were bowing down to them. 
Where we stood, there were no idols, but a 
little group of humble men and women with 
faith in the one true and living God and 
His Son Jesus Christ. That river which 



Work at Kopergaon 



265 



the Hindus worshiped became the watery 
baptismal grave of a number of souls that 
day. 

The contrast in the two groups and in the 
object of their meeting was marked. Many 
witnessed a baptismal scene for the first time 
in their lives, and went away in all directions 
to tell what strange things they had heard 
and seen, and of the Christian missionary 
teaching the people who were accepting 
Christ and taking upon themselves the public 
sign of that acceptance. 




Paul, "Our Bheesty," or Water Carrier, at the Kalyan 

Mission House, and the Water Buffalo with the 

Mussuk on His Back Filled with Water 



266 Fruit from the Jungle 

The news spread like a prairie fire, not 
only to the near-by villages, but also to 
the large market places all over that dis- 
trict, creating a deep sensation. From among 
that baptized group, we received one young 
man who became an active worker among 
his own people, and whose whole aim was to 
lead them into the light of the gospel. Such 
work requires much labor, wisdom, and forti- 
tude. Time also is an element in the develop- 
ment of Christian character. The personal 
responsibility of the missionary becomes 
greater when some accept Christ; for if these 
sheep are not properly fed and cared for, 
many die or are devoured by wolves. 

CALLING FOR PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES 

One sultry afternoon, I sat in my small 
room at the Kopergaon resthouse, when a 
native stranger came to the door, and re- 
spectfully presented me with a chit, or letter, 
written in the vernacular. I read it carefully, 
and found it was a hearty invitation to cross 
the Godavari, and come a distance of seven- 
teen miles to a village down the river, where 
a company of men were calling for a Protes- 
tant missionary. I asked the bearer of the 
note to come in and tell me all about his 



Work at Kopergaon 267 

people, his village, etc. He did so, and I 
found it an interesting story. 

He said a man had come to their village 
and reported that I was teaching the people 
at Kopergaon, and that many were accept- 
ing the gospel and being baptized. He also 
said that for a long time, many of his people 
had known a little about Christ. One day 
a man in a long robe came to them, saying 
he would make Christians of them, and would 
give them books and a school. Their ex- 
pectations were aroused, and they thought 
they saw a way to benefit themselves and 
their little ones. Believing that after they 
had been properly instructed, they would be 
free from the yoke of caste and of Hinduism, 
and knowing no difference between Protes- 
tant and Catholic missionaries, they walked 
into the net spread for their feet. Some of 
their friends had told them that Christianity 
was much better than heathenism; so, after a 
certain amount of instruction in the cate- 
chism, and learning certain prayers and signs, 
they were sprinkled. 

But they had no Bible to read; and when 
I put one into the hand of the stranger who 
brought the letter to me, he said, "That is 
God's book; no one but the 'father' may read 



268 Fruit from the Jungle 

that." I assured him that the Bible is for all 
to read. Then he told me that his people 
were not baptized as I was baptizing at 
Kopergaon. The man in the long gown had 
first rubbed oil on their chests and backs, and 
then put salt in their mouths; after that, he 
made the sign of the cross on their foreheads, 
and they were called to the confessional once 
a week. He further stated that unless the 
women went to confession, the "father" would 
beat their hands with a stick; if the men did 
not come and say their prayers, they must 
each pay a fine of from four to eight annas. 
This was harder than Hinduism, he thought. 

In their former religion, no man had a 
right to talk alone to their women; and to 
them, the confessional for women looked very 
much out of place, and they could not keep 
up such a custom. Neither had they been 
fined, as Hindus, if they did not say their 
prayers. They had hoped to be bettered by 
Christianity, but now they felt they were 
worse off than before. The letter requested 
me to visit them, and help them if possible. 
I could not leave my post alone, so sent my 
salaams, and promised to visit them very soon. 

The bearer of the letter remained at 
Kopergaon only one night, and then started 



Work at Kopergaon 269 

home on foot. I could not help following 
him in my thoughts those seventeen miles, 
and purposed to visit that village as soon as 
I could; but as I had all I could do at home, 
my plans could not be immediately carried 
out. 

It was not long, however, before a company 
of seventeen men, determined upon the ac- 
complishment of their purpose, came to 
Kopergaon to see me themselves. Matters 
now assumed a serious aspect, and I began 
to correspond with other missionaries about 
the opening. These anxious men promised 
me land, and buildings in which to live and 
conduct schools, also a good well of water, if 
I would but come to their village. The offer 
was a tempting one, and I greatly desired to 
accept the invitation and make the most of 
the opportunity. But I was in duty bound 
to receive instructions from the superintend- 
ent of the mission before I could under- 
take any new work. He was carefully in- 
formed of the new developments in my field, 
and replied that on a certain date, four of 
us should meet for a conference at Koper- 
gaon, and then the matter would be con- 
sidered. 



270 Fruit from the Jungle 

At this conference, several more men from 
that village presented themselves, anxiously 
waiting for a hopeful promise. When the 
superintendent asked me what I thought best 
to do, I promptly said, "Go to them at once, 
give them Bibles, teach them, and as soon 
as we can, baptize them again, and accept 
them into the fold." 

Here matters took another turn; for the 
superintendent gave me positively to un- 
derstand that the last ruling of the bishop 
had been that as the Catholics baptized men 
into the name of the Trinity, we could do 
no more, and therefore we must not rebaptize 
those from Catholicism. 

I confess I did not agree with the bishop, 
and I still longed to leave Kopergaon, and 
go down the river to that flock of sheep in 
the wilderness who were calling for a shep- 
herd. These people had refused to follow 
the priest. As I must not disobey orders, I 
did not go to them; and so far as I know, no 
Protestant missionary has ever visited them. 

In a few days, I received a postal card 
and also a telegram urging me to come; but 
my hands were bound by rules that I could 
not disobey. I sent my final salaam and 
declined their offer. Whenever I think of 



Work at Kopergaon 271 

that opening, and those poor people, my 
heart yearns over them. The work still went 
on at Kopergaon; and when I was sent else- 
where, another man took my place and taught 
the people. 

Up to the time I left, only the men of 
Kopergaon had received my instruction, save 
the little that one poorly qualified woman 
had done in house visiting. The station 
master was a bigoted caste man; and if our 
native preacher attempted so much as to go 
on the railroad platform, even to meet the 
missionary at the train, he was sure to get 
a bill, fining him three or four cents. This 
was a plan to keep low-caste men out of 
the way of the high-caste. As Kopergaon 
was a holy bathing place, caste rules were 
enforced more rigidly than where European 
influence was more largely felt. 

There are still many "diamonds in the 
rough" at Kopergaon, and in all its sur- 
rounding villages and hamlets. 



18 




A Young Wife Loaded with Silver Jewels 
(272) 



CHAPTER XVIII 




The Famine 

NDIA has three distinct seasons, — 
the cold, the hot, and the wet, or 
"monsoon." Of course, a country ex- 
tending over thirty degrees of lati- 
tude, possessing such vast chains of 
lofty mountains, and washed on two sides by 
the sea, must possess a variety of climate. 
"Such is India, varying from 'furnace heat' 
in May and June at Agra, to intense cold on 
the high plateaus. The average summer 
temperature in some places is ninety-five de- 
grees in the shade; and at places like Jacoba- 
bad in the northwest, it rises as high as 115 
degrees in the shade; while in many places, 
during the hot months, the thermometer 
registers 150 and even 160 degrees in the sun. 
"In estimating the climate of India, four 
conditions must be kept in view; namely, 
the latitude, the altitude, nearness to the 
desert, and nearness to the sea. The slopes 
of the Himalayas have a cool climate. At 
Utakamand, in the Nilgiri, the elevation and 
the sea breezes keep the summer tempera- 
ture down to sixty degrees. The country 

(273) 



274 Fruit from the Jungle 

south of the Satpura Mountains is cooler 
than the valleys of the Indus and the Ganges, 
and the east coast is hotter than the west. 
"The hot season lasts from March to 
June; the wet season from June to October; 
and the cold season from October to March. 
The rainfall in parts of India is greater 
than any other place on the globe. The water 
brought up from the sea by the southwest 
monsoon, or periodical wind blowing off the 
Arabian Sea, from July to October is enor- 
mous. On the Malabar coast, the annual 
rainfall sometimes amounts to 480 inches; 
while in Assam, as much as 600 inches have 
fallen in a single year. 

"The rainy season does not occur at the 
same time all over India. The failure of the 
monsoon is followed by the awful famines 
which from time to time visit the country, 
their severity and extent depending upon the 
lightness or entire suppression of the annual 
rainfall, which in turn is governed by the 
periodical winds which bring the moisture 
in from the sea." t 

It is said that India has a famine about 
every twenty years, sometimes severe, some- 
times slight. History has recorded these sad 
calamities upon this particular country. Dur- 



The Famine 



275 



ing the year 1900, very little rain fell in 
India, and the outlook was forbidding. Cot- 
ton, corn, and other crops had been planted 
as usual. These came up but a few inches, 
only to be scorched in the hot sun. The grass 
grew but a little and withered. The farmers 
and herdsmen all over the country, who are 
entirely dependent on the annual moisture of 
the monsoon rains, were downcast while they 
discussed the gloomy outlook for that year. 
Many of those brawny old Hindu farmers 
actually wept as they looked upon their vast 
fields of blasted grain. 




A Band of Hungry Boys 



276 Fruit from the Jungle 

The Bible says that "hope deferred maketh 
the heart sick," and indeed these poor men 
were heartsick. The previous year, the rain- 
fall was abundant, and corn had been sold 
at the rate of one hundred and twenty 
pounds for the rupee, or thirty-three and 
one third cents. The poorer classes had 
sufficient, and few begged their daily bread. 
But soon prices began to rise, and all food- 
stuffs became very expensive. 

In Central India, during the famine, corn 
was sold at the rate of sixteen pounds for 
thirty-three and one third cents. Large 
quantities of grain were stored away in pits 
all over the country, and the Hindu grain 
merchants seized the opportunity to make 
this misfortune their gain. There was no 
established law to regulate prices; thus many 
millions were at the mercy of a few, who had 
it in their power to consider the poor and 
lend to the Lord, or to oppress the poor. 
They chose the latter and more natural in- 
clination of their selfish hearts. 

In some parts of India, the famine had 
really begun in 1897, and many had actually 
starved to death; but in 1900, it had become 
so widespread that the government was 
scarcely prepared to meet it, In spite of all 



The Famine 



277 



the criticism that may be offered, the British 
officials in every instance did their utmost 
to provide employment for all classes in ac- 
tual need, and those who were too weak to 
work were freely provided with daily food. 
It is said that millions of people always 
live on the verge of starvation in India; and 
any one who has been a resident of that 
country even for a short time cannot doubt 
the statement. The common day laborer 
earns but eight cents a day if a man, and four 
cents a day if a woman. This is the usual 
standard of wages when grain is at its normal 




Making Cow Dung Cakes for Fuel 



278 Fruit from the Jungle 

value. Millions of people in India never save 
a penny for a "rainy day," and actually live 
"from hand to mouth" in the true sense of 
the term. The majority are in debt to the 
money lender, who receives high rates of in- 
terest on his money; for in India, as every- 
where else, "the love of money is the root of 
all evil." 

CATTLE COMMITTING SUICIDE 

It was a sad sight when the downhearted 
and discouraged farmers went into their fields 
and pulled up the partly grown cornstalks by 
the roots. It had grown but eight or ten 
inches, and then died. Every one knew that 
no more could be sown for at least twelve 
months; so these tiny bundles of fodder were 
carefully stored away for the many cattle de- 
pendent on them. Water in all the wells 
gradually grew lower, and after a while, dried 
up altogether. Instances were observed 
where cows in search of water walked re- 
peatedly around these dry wells, bellowing as 
they went; then, placing their forefeet upon 
the curbing, plunged down headlong, and 
were dashed to death at the bottom. 

As grain became scarce and very ex- 
pensive, the low-caste women were frequently 



The Famine 279 

seen in the fields with baskets and brooms 
sweeping up seeds of any kind that might 
have fallen the previous year. After win- 
nowing this grain out by hand, they would 
grind it in their hand mills, finally making it 
into bread. Cattle ate the leaves of the 
banyan and babul trees. In fact, all the 
trees that had any green leaves were hacked 
to pieces to be fed to the starving cattle. 
Many people boiled the leaves for food as 
well, though surely it was not a very nutri- 
tious diet. 

Children from the lower castes collected 
bones, and after crushing them with stones, 
ate them. A carpenter's son gradually wasted 
away. He had scarcely any clothing on his 
emaciated body. Finally he tied a knot in a 
rope, and placing the knot over his stomach, 
tied the rope at his back, and thus went about 
our town begging for food. One day, after 
we refused to assist him, he sat down in 
the middle of the public highway, and ac- 
tually ate the dust of the street. We helped 
him some, but could not provide for all 
such cases. 

Such pathetic sights are painful to witness, 
and arouse all the sympathies of the human 
heart. The government advised missionaries 



280 Fruit from the Jungle 

not to make a practice of giving out money 
without something in return; but of course, 
this rule could not be insisted upon in the 
case of children. Government relief camps 
were opened all over the country, and labor 
was provided for all who were able to work. 
Stones were gathered from the fields, and 
broken into small pieces with hammers, to be 
used in building roads. Thus millions of 
men, women, and children found employ- 
ment. The wages paid were but a trifle, 
however, and in many instances scarcely 
enough to keep them. Many were too weak 
to work after reaching the relief camp, and 
it was quite impossible for them to sit in the 
hot sun and break stone all day; so large 
numbers were compelled to give up, lie down 
on the ground, and starve to death. 

The people of India do not use glassware 
and crockery as much as we do, but they 
use brass and copper instead. These metals 
are generally sold by weight, and may be 
disposed of at any time. In their straitened 
circumstances, the people exchanged all their 
household utensils for bread. 

Then, too, they are fond of jewelry, and 
usually wear quantities of it; but now this 
was also gladly sold. Those who were able 



The Famine 281 

to purchase at such a time were sure to take 
advantage of the dire need of the people, 
whose goods were always sold at great sacri- 
fice and loss. Clothing, cattle, farming im- 
plements, and even their small holdings of 
land were disposed of for bread. Frequently 
children were sold. Thousands of discour- 
aged souls left their homes, and wandered 
wherever inclination led, in search of food 
and water. 

Gradually the police became responsible 
for these people, and they were driven from 
place to place, or herded together like 
cattle. They were sick in mind and body, 
and many of them became careless and indif- 
ferent to all ties of home and kindred. Thus 
they forsook one another, and families be- 
came separated, never to be reunited. 

In some cases, the weaker members of 
the family were driven out to beg and shift 
for themselves, while the stronger ones care- 
fully preserved the little that remained for 
their own needs, and so pulled through. The 
temptation to steal was naturally great; and 
scarcely anything was safe, even under lock 
and key. The mission lost cattle, fowls, and 
much valuable household stuff. In one in- 
stance, thieves dug out the frame of the 



282 Fruit from the Jungle 

cookhouse window in the mission compound, 
and stole several large copper kettles and 
seventeen brass plates, the property of our 
boys' orphanage. All day long these poor 
people congregated about the mission house, 
pleading for food and water. Many of 
them lost all sense of fear, shame, and con- 
sideration for others. In fact, they had little 
or no hope of life, and seemed not to care 
what became of them. 

Water was not to be found even in the 
deepest ravines in the jungles; and wild 
animals prowled about our houses at night, 
endeavoring to get a drink from our water 
jars placed out in the wind to cool. As the 
mission house windows had strong iron bars 
in them, we felt perfectly safe inside. 

The government excavated deep pits in the 
river beds, and thus provided a limited supply 
of water for us. These pits were all pro- 
tected by police both day and night; and 
what water we obtained by hauling it in 
barrels was kept under lock and key, and 
carefully given out to those under our care. 
Not a drop was wasted. Large numbers of 
people not only did not have water with 
which to bathe, but for months at a time did 
not even have enough to drink. Their cloth- 



The Famine 283 

ing became filthy, and their bodies diseased 
and alive with vermin. 

Epidemics of cholera, plague, and other 
diseases were the natural result. Many sick- 
ened and died without care or medical at- 
tendance. Government officials were not 
anticipating anything so widespread, and 
hence were unable to cope with it properly. 
Were another famine soon to prevail over 
such a vast area, past experience would en- 
able officials to deal with it more promptly 
and successfully. 

Many of the educated natives were placed 
in responsible positions, handling large sums 
of charity funds. This became a source of 
temptation; and in certain instances, much 
was squandered that should have been dealt 
out to the needy under their charge. Some 
of these men were unfeeling and cruel, and 
the people were wronged and oppressed by 
them. 

THE LABOR OF MISSIONARIES 

Missionaries of all denominations endeav- 
ored to gather as many orphans as they 
could into their schools; but in some in- 
stances, the high-caste Hindus declared they 
preferred to see their children starve to death 



284 Fruit from the Jungle 

rather than become Christians. The world 
was informed of the pressing need in India 
at that time; and as fast as sympathizing 
friends responded to the call, assistance was 
rendered to all, without regard to color, caste, 
age, or sex. Those who bore the responsi- 
bilities of those famine days will never forget 
their peculiarly trying experiences. 

It was indeed a time of human helplessness, 
and drove us constantly to seek wisdom and 
help from above. Many missionaries not only 
overworked, but denied themselves even the 
necessities of life. It has been said that 
"when virtue is overdone, it ceases to be a 
virtue, and becomes a vice." But not until too 
late did some learn that they had gone too 
far in their labor of love, when they were 
forced to lay down their lives, victims of 
fever and general exhaustion. 

Not only did human beings die, but cattle, 
birds, and every living thing that could not 
get water. One result of this condition was 
great swarms of flies, which collected about 
our dwellings until we could scarcely eat. 
At mealtimes, we stationed two native boys 
with napkins to drive the flies away. In one 
instance, sixteen of our orphan boys could 
not eat their rice, because of the flies. There 



The Famine 



285 



was so much decaying flesh on all sides, that 
the fly became indeed a deadly pest. 

One day, several orphan boys had been to 
the jungles for firewood; and on their return, 
they hastened to tell us they had seen a man 
who evidently had starved by the roadside, 
and whose body had been partly devoured 
by jackals. Another time, our Hindu cook 
started for his home in the village. The 
night was dark, and he could with difficulty 
see his way. Suddenly he was startled by 
a moving object in his path. Halting to get 
a clearer view, he discovered a baby girl, 




A Loaded Donkey 



286 Fruit from the Jungle 

which had been thrown out in the street to 
die. The cook picked her up, and brought 
her to the mission, where she was kindly cared 
for. To-day she is a bright Christian young 
woman in a mission school in Central India. 
While out for a walk with several mission 
children one day, we heard a pitiful cry, 
which sounded as if it came from the ground. 
Where could it be? Only a heap of thorn 
brush was near. Again we listened, and at 
last discovered a baby boy in a hole, in the 
ground, covered with cow manure and a 
heap of thorns. Large black ants were 
crawling over its naked body, and soon would 
have begun to eat its flesh. How it came 
there we never knew. It was taken to the 
mission house, and as tenderly cared for as 
if it had been our own. Thus in the provi- 
dence of God, many lives were rescued; but 
while the missionaries were saving all the 
lives they could to educate and uplift, wicked 
Mohammedans were collecting youths to 
train for anything but good. 

A cargo of American corn was sent to 
India in the good ship "Quito," and I had 
the privilege of distributing thousands of 
pounds of it. A regular time was appointed 
for the people to assemble in the public road, 



The Famine 287 

and the corn was given out in teacupfuls. 
We might have helped more people with 
this corn; but as the cattle died off with 
hunger and thirst, it was impossible to haul 
it in bullock carts to our mission, a distance 
of twenty-eight miles. 

During the famine, we hired many to bring 
stone, lime, and wood. At one station, we 
thus employed nearly five hundred persons 
for eight months; and after converting all 
this building material into houses, we were 
led to thank God for what had been accom- 
plished. That eventful year, we gave out 
for labor several thousand dollars, and re- 
lieved much suffering. 

Meetings were daily carried on for the 
people in our charge; and before the year 
closed, I had the pleasure of baptizing a 
large number who had become Christians. 

During the year 1900, and out of those 
awful famine conditions, many acquired a 
knowledge of the true God ; and we trust that 
some of these will be among those who shall 
finally be saved. 



19 



CHAPTER XIX 




Susie and the Sugar Plum 

|S usual, we were very busy about the 
mission. There had been no rain for 
several months, famine stared us in 
the face, and the natives on all sides 
were downhearted and full of fear. 
No wonder, for they always lived "from hand 
to mouth," and had little or nothing laid by 
to meet such an emergency. Many of the 
older people had passed through more than 
one famine, and the sad tales of poverty 
and starvation they related to one another 
were most pathetic. In times of drought 
and scarcity, families had lost their worldly 
possessions,* and had been separated, never 
to meet again. 

Nearly every day, the poor natives came 
to the mission house pleading for help, till 
we were at our wit's end to know what to do. 
In most instances, they wanted work; but we 
had no work for them. Among others who 
came into the mission compound was a thin 
old kunbee, or Hindu farmer. A half-starved 
little girl, wholly nude, slowly followed on 
after the old man. She may have been four 

(288) 



Susie and the Sugar Plum 289 

years of age; but she looked like a little, 
dried-up old woman. 

The man and the child were not so bold as 
some, and did not venture very close to the 
house, but sat down in the yard, flat on the 
ground, in regular native fashion. The poor 
old farmer looked tired, hungry, and worried. 
He called to us, and asked if we gave work 
to poor people, and if we had anything for 
him to do. We said we sometimes helped 
needy cases, but that we had no work to offer 
any one just then. He looked quite disap- 
pointed, then related his sad story of need. 




290 Fruit from the Jungle 

His wife was dead, he had no food in the 
home, and he was about ready to lie down and 
die. He had that one little girl; and with 
a fond glance at her, and then a pleading look 
at us, he said, "Will you take care of her if 
I give her to you?" We gladly promised to 
be as father and mother to the child. The 
old man's heart was too sad for conversation. 
He loosened his hold upon the bony little 
thing, who had quietly slipped up close to 
his side; then passing his hard, crooked 
ringers over her little face and head, he 
turned away to leave. 

We saw that it was hard for him to part 
with his poor little girl, even to leave her with 
kind friends, and we pitied him. As he 
started off, we called the child to us. Evi- 
dentlv she was frightened, and had begun to 
feel that her father was to leave her. She 
gave a loud scream, and started toward him. 
"I don't think she will stay with you," he 
said. 

"Oh, yes, she will," I said, and then I be- 
gan in childish language to talk to her. Our 
white faces were new to her, and she really 
was afraid. We bade the father be seated, 
and wait there a moment. We wanted this 
child to train for Christ, and meant to get 



Susie and the Sugar Plum 291 

her, as she was to be given away. We ran 
into the house and brought out a big lump 
of gool, or raw sugar. 

The famished little waif grasped it with 
delight, and then we asked her to come with 
us for more. We told her we had clean 
clothes, and plenty of food for her, too. She 
looked up at us with a pleased glance, as 
much as to say she almost believed what we 
said; and without a moment's hesitation, she 
gave me her hand, and came into the house 
with me. Her sad-hearted parent never said 
good-by, but slowly walked away in silence. 
He glanced back several times to get a last 
look at his child, and thus the tie was broken. 
He had given away his all. 

While we sympathized with him, we were 
glad of our treasure. She came from a good 
class of people, and her father had given her 
to us of his own free choice. She wanted to 
come, after she had received the sugar plum, 
with a promise of more. The Hindus did 
not want her; they would not spend a penny 
on thousands of such. Little girls were too 
plentiful in a nation of three hundred mil- 
lions; they had many more than they knew 
what to do with. But we saw grand possi- 
bilities for that young life trained in the true 



292 Fruit from the Jungle 

faith, and educated in our mission schools, 
and were glad to get her. We knew that 
when some of the good people of America 
heard of her and the other little waifs in our 
care, they would gladly sacrifice for their 
support ; so in faith we welcomed this child 
and many others to our family circle at the 
mission in those days. 

The child was now inside our big stone 

house, sucking away at another piece of 

sugar. We feared she might run out, and 

scream for her father; so we fed her well. 

We asked her name; and she said, "Sukie." 

This we changed a bit, and called her Susie. 

She was dirty and uncouth, and one could 

count all her ribs. We called a native woman 

to clean her up, first removing several brass 

rings from her ears, and one from her nose. 

Then she was taken to the bathroom, and 

given a "proper" wash in soapsuds. Her 

hair had never been combed; and although 

it was nearly black next to the head, the ends 

were sunburned to a reddish brown. When 

the attendants tried to comb her hair, they 

found a large sore spot on the back of her 

head, covered with a knotty, matted mass 

of hair. In the sore were numbers of vermin 

eating their way into the flesh, and making 



Susie and the Sugar Plum 293 

it raw and painful. Again we thanked God 
that Susie had fallen into our hands. Her 
hair was all cut off, and her head properly 
cleaned, and saturated with coconut oil. 
After her warm bath, her whole body was 
also well rubbed with oil. 

Imagine how Susie must have felt to have 
a clean white sardie, or dress, at four years 
of age, after running nude all her lifetime. 
A smile came over her thin little features — 
and that smile was reward enough for all 
our efforts to clean her up. A brown goat's 
hair blanket was given her, and a tin cup and 
plate. At night she slept on the floor among 
a lot of other little girls who had been taken 
in under similar conditions. A natural sym- 
pathy existed between them, and they re- 
spected and loved their white foster parents. 

For some time, Susie was weak and deli- 
cate; but good, warm buffaloes' milk, and 
plenty of plain corn bread, soon made a 
change in the thin little frame, and she be- 
came well and plump. 

As soon as she was strong enough, we as- 
signed her to a class in school. At first, one 
of her eyes was quite weak ; but with care and 
treatment, she came through all right. Susie 
was fond of books, and soon learned to read 



294 Fruit from the Jungle 

very well. It was almost amusing to see 
her seated on the hard stone floor, her legs 
stretched out straight, and a Bible on her 
k nees __ such a little girl, and such a big 
book. In a few months after she entered the 
mission school, you would scarcely have recog- 
nized her as the same child. Instead of look- 
ing older, she looked younger, only plump 
and fat. 

THE BLESSED FRUIT OF LABOR 

It was not long till Susie learned the plan 
of salvation, and was able to answer any 
simple question put to her about the true 
religion. Soon she began to pray, like our 
other Christian girls; for our mission girls 
are taught to pray even before they are con- 
verted. We think it a good plan for them 
to start on the right road at once. 

Susie confessed her sins, and gave her 
heart to Jesus; and her prayers and testi- 
monies helped make our meetings what they 
were. She always wore a smile, and every 
one loved her. When others gave in their 
names as candidates for baptism, Susie gave 
in hers also, and was baptized. Her faith 
grew fast, and she had not been with us 
long until everybody knew where she stood. 



Susie and the Sugar Plum 295 

Several years have rolled by since then, 
and Susie is a fine, healthy, Christian young 
woman. She lives in a mission school in 
Central India, and is doing good work. She 
has learned to grind flour in the stone mill, 
cook, wash, and sew. What a change in the 
life of that heathen child! All her life, her 
heart will swell with thanksgiving for what 
God and His servants have done for her. 
It would do your heart good to hear her 
pray, speak, and sing in meeting. She is 
one of our brightest daughters in the native 
church in India. 

From the moment we gave her the lump 
of sugar, Susie has been detached from all 
her past, and attached to the mission. Her 
old father may have died in the famine from 
which she was rescued. He has never been 
to see her; and so far as we know, she has 
never shed a tear for him or her people. The 
years she has spent in school have fitted her 
for a life of usefulness and service for Christ. 
While these lines are being penned, this 
young woman is better fitting herself for 
the Lord's work among her native sisters. 

Let any who may read these lines, always 
remember that offerings contributed for such 
work bring forth compound interest. 




C. V. Kalle and Family, One of Our Grown-up Boys 
Who Is Now Compounder and Preacher 



(296) 



CHAPTER XX 




Answered Prayer 

OD has given some wonderfully reas- 
suring answers to the prayers of His 
servants in foreign mission fields. To 
them He has given a special call to 
do a special work, and doubtless 
He delights to encourage their hearts and 
strengthen His cause intrusted to them. 

We have already seen how Kasho, a young 
native convert, spent three months in earnest 
prayer to the end that missionaries might be 
sent to a certain town. The Lord answered 
his prayer, sent the men, and established His 
own work in that place. Souls have been 
saved there, and the work of the Lord still 
moves on. While living at that very sta- 
tion, and laboring daily among the people, I 
was constantly impressed to undertake a cer- 
tain line of mission work. I consulted several 
other workers upon the matter, but did not 
secure their cooperation or approval. Feel- 
ing that "in the multitude of counselors there 
is safety," and that doubtless my own desire 
actuated me more than the desire of the Lord, 
I decided that perhaps it was best to drop 

(297) 



298 Fruit from the Jungle 

the matter altogether. But I could not drop 
it; for the plan was always in my mind, and 
day by day the need for that special work 
seemed greater. Still everything in the world 
seemed against it. Would it not take money? 
And I did not possess a cent for such a 
purpose. 

In order to test the matter, I wrote out in 
detail the plan with which I had been im- 
pressed, and literally obeyed the command 
of the Lord, "Enter into thy closet, and when 
thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father 
which is in secret;" trusting the promise, 
"And thy Father which seeth in secret shall 
reward thee openly." Placing on a chair the 
paper on which the plan was written, I made 
the special request: "O Lord, if this is Thy 
plan, and if we should take up this special 
work, then be pleased to prove it to us by 
sending the needed money, even if it takes 
three months. If the money never comes, 
then we shall be sure Thou dost not require 
it of us." 

There I left the whole matter, my heart 
at rest in the peace of faith, content if the 
answer came as a refusal, and went back to 
my daily tasks without a concern as to the 
matter. About three days after that, a cable- 



Answered Prayer 299 

gram came, and with it an order for over 
one thousand rupees, or about $325. 

I was indeed thankful that this special re- 
quest had been answered in a special way, 
and that God had thus proved His willing- 
ness to do "exceeding abundantly above all 
that we ask or think." The way of duty now 
seemed clear, and I undertook the work with- 
out a doubt or a fear. And whatever of 
difficulty was met in its prosecution, I was 
always able to look up, and say, "Lord, 
Thou didst give us this duty, the plan, the 



—-mJMb 


*2H ' 




V 


-<^iB 







On the Way to the Dispensary 

(Carried in this manner thirteen miles, went 
away smiling.) 



300 Fruit from the Jungle 

call, and the means." The cablegram was 
evidently sent about the time we were plead- 
ing with the Lord for clearer light and guid- 
ance. "Before they call, I will answer; and 
while they are yet speaking, I will hear." 

BY PRAYER AND FASTING 

At another time, one of our native Chris- 
tian families had some personal difficulty in 
their home, resulting in gossip, and finally in 
a separation. This was sad indeed, and likely 
to hinder greatly a revival that had just 
begun among us. We knew that the heathen 
would rejoice, and would ridicule this family 
and the whole Christian community, and say 
that we were no better than they, and that 
it would be better not to become Christians. 
Heathen men beat their wives and keep them 
shut up, but Christian men may not lawfully 
beat their wives. 

I endeavored to settle the trouble by ad- 
vising the distracted persons, but without 
success; for they both had grievances, and 
both preferred separation to constant trouble. 
We knew that this state of things must not 
continue, or the whole mission would suffer, 
and the Spirit of God would be grieved 
away from our work. The more we prayed, 



Answered Prayer 301 

the more this scripture suggested itself to us: 
"This kind goeth not out but by prayer and 
fasting." We had never met just "this 
kind" before; but our hearts responded to the 
challenge, and if it meant fasting and prayer, 
we were ready for it. So we set to work on 
our knees to straighten out the trouble that 
threatened our church, realizing that the 
forces of evil were strong against us, and 
that we were indeed in a battle. 

But the Lord gave us His spirit of prayer, 
and we were assured we should prevail. For 
a week, we ate only enough to keep our 
strength for the work; and at the end of 
that time, feeling that "the iron was hot," so 
to speak, and that we must "strike," we 
quietly approached the contending parties, 
and in a few cautious words showed them that 
they were both wrong, and that they should 
beg each other's pardon and make their 
hearts right before God. Then we laid down 
the burden; for we had pleaded with the 
Lord, and were sure He was even more in- 
terested in the outcome than we. At once, 
without argument, they saw their wrong, 
and, after prayer, agreed to consent to live 
together as Christians. The wife made a 
good supper, the father clasped his little boy 



302 Fruit from the Jungle 

in his arms with all the fondness of days 
gone by, and so far as we know, that family 
have lived together united and happy ever 
since. God answers prayer. 

PRAYER BROUGHT VICTORY 

A native stonemason had been engaged to 
do a certain piece of work for the mission; 
but before he completed it, the monsoon 
rains came, and in the middle of the night, 
we were aroused by an awful crash. At 
once we thought of the wall of the new 
building; but the night was dark and wild, 
and we did not go to see. In the morning, 
we found that the wall of the building in 
process of construction had fallen flat to 
the ground. 

Then we called the mason, and questioned 
him about his work. He agreed to complete 
the job, and leave it in good condition, but 
asked for an advance of money. Very re- 
luctantly we complied. Again, in the next 
heavy shower, his work fell. Now we tested 
his materials, and found that he had mixed 
white clay with the lime. Of course, the ad- 
hesive quality of clay was not equal to that 
of lime, so the whole thing gave way when 
it was tested bv rain. 



Answered Prayer 303 

Again we called the mason, and after re- 
monstrating with him, refused to let him go 
on with the work or to pay him. He was 
angry, for he had been detected in his wrong- 
doing. Had the rain not fallen just then, we 
might not have discerned the defective work 
until the roof of the building had been con- 
structed, and an even greater loss sustained. 

Soon a defiant letter came from the mason. 
He tried to intimidate us by saying that if 
the money he claimed was not immediately 
forthcoming, he would prosecute us. What 
money we had all belonged to the Lord, and 
we were but His stewards. It was not worth 
while to deal with that deceptive mason; so 
I spread the matter before the Lord, and 
especially asked Him to block every plan of 
the enemy. We had no desire to parley with 
him either in court or out of it. I confess 
that my request seemed a bold one, but I 
knew that my object was right. That season 
of prayer brought the desired victory. The 
mason never came to us, nor wrote us again, 
until he came to apologize for his conduct, 
and proved his sincerity by sending us a tray 
full of delicious fruit. Thus again we proved 
bending the knees before the God of prayer 

20 



304 Fruit from the Jungle 

a better plan than trying to adjust matters 
by litigation. 

"Oh, what peace we often forfeit, 
Oh, what needless pain we bear, 
All because we do not carry 
Everything to God in prayer!" 

THAT WHICH IS LEAST 

The mission owned a large herd of fine 
buffalo cows, which supplied our mission 
school with fresh milk for the children, and 
curds for the older ones. A fine lot of butter 
was also turned out twice a week, and sold 
for grain. In India, the cattle must be con- 
stantly watched, as the pasture is not fenced 
or hedged in. One day while the gowlie, 
or herdsman, was taking a noonday rest 
under a shade tree, our cattle wandered off 
into forbidden pastures. 

The native sepoy, or police, are ever on 
the alert for stray animals, whose depreda- 
tions are among the most common annoy- 
ances in a land where fences are seldom 
erected; so when our cattle were discovered 
out of place, they were driven off to the 
pound, and it would cost more than the 
month's wages of the herdsman to get them 
out. Just as we were about to begin our 
regular afternoon service, the gowlie came in, 



Answered Prayer 305 

greatly excited, to tell us his troubles. We 
replied that he was responsible for the care 
of our cattle during the day, and for their 
safe arrival at night; therefore he must re- 
turn them by sundown. 

We knew he had no money, but we also 
knew that the mission could not afford to 
pay for the negligence of its servants, and if 
we excused him, we should have no end of 
trouble all the year. A congregation were 
waiting in the meetinghouse for service, and 
the gowlie waited at the door, not satisfied 
with my reply. He wanted me to pay the 
fine and free the herd. I was perplexed. 
The cattle must be cared for and milked 
that evening, and I had also to minister to 
that waiting congregation. 

Deliberately I took time to closet myself 
in prayer, and said, "O Lord, if Thou canst 
afford to pay for all these cattle now in the 
pound, amen." There we rested the matter, 
assured that all would be well. I went to 
the meeting, and the Lord met with us and 
blessed us. The cattle came home all right, 
and the bill had been paid. The gowlie bor- 
rowed the money himself, and paid for them, 
lint even in this little matter, I learned anew 
to cast all my care upon Him, knowing that 



306 Fruit from the Jungle 

"He careth for us," and that in moments of 
trial and testing, He hears, answers, and de- 
livers. 

Three of us missionaries agreed to buy, on 
the installment plan, a certain property for 
the Lord's work; and as rents were counted 
on the principal, we felt quite safe. It took 
three years to pay the first half of the price 
asked for this property; and at the end of 
the third year, the man who sold us the place 
demanded the second half of the money within 
three months' time. This demand seemed un- 
reasonable; but we knew that if he chose, he 
could foreclose, and we should lose all we had 
paid, with many important improvements. 

We had not a cent of mission money on 
hand; but we began to pray, believing that 
God would direct us, and were impressed 
that we should trust Him, and not reply to 
the letter until we could pay the last farthing. 
We felt that we should test God and our- 
selves, and follow our impressions in the mat- 
ter, though it meant that we must raise as 
much in three months as we had previously 
raised in three years. Finally we argued that 
it was not for us, but for the Lord and His 
cause; and if He could meet the demand in 
three months, He could meet it in one. So 



Answered Vrayer 307 

we laid the matter before the Lord, and left 
it completely in His hands. 

We agreed to pray daily at the family 
altar for the full amount in a month, and 
not a day passed but we did as we had 
agreed. Then to help answer our own 
prayers, each emptied his pocketbook into a 
small box to start the fund. All together we 
had two dollars in cash. We gladly gave 
all we had, and trusted God for the rest. 

That was a month of most importunate 
prayer. Nearly every day, a little came in, 
some of it in most unexpected ways and 
from unlooked-for sources; and to the glory 
of God, at the end of one month, we saw 
that we had as much money as we had gained 
before in three years. Not a cent had been 
borrowed, neither had we written to our 
friends for money. God, who knew our dire 
need, and saw our faith, would not suffer us 
to be defeated when it was for His glory and 
the upbuilding of His work that our request 
should be granted. 

At the end of the month, we had a special 
thanksgiving service together. Then we 
wrote to our creditor, and said, "Please do 
not wait three months, but come at once and 
get the full amount due you on the property." 



308 Fruit from the Jungle 

One more instance: The heathen parents 
of some of our children sent for their little 
ones through the court. We had taken 
these children in time of famine, and had 
cared for them for several years, and it was 
hard indeed to think of parting with them. 
They had become Christians, and their rela- 
tives were heathen. For them to quit our 
school after the training we had given them, 
and return to heathen homes and villages, 
would be detrimental in every way, and our 
labor would be practically lost. But what 
could we do? — Nothing but pray most 
earnestly. We had a long and tedious 
journey to make with these children to at- 
tend court, — almost eighty miles in spring- 
less bullock carts. 

However, we made the trip; and on the 
day appointed, and at the proper hour, we 
were at the court with our little charges. 
Not one of them wanted to leave the mission 
school; and they, as well as we, had prayed 
most earnestly. When we came before the 
English judge in court, he called for the 
parents who claimed the children. To the 
surprise of all, not one of them was present to 
press his claim. The judge very kindly ad- 
vised us to take the children home with us, 



Answered Prayer 309 

and not give them up without written orders 
from the government. This was another 
special answer to prayer. 

Many other instances might be cited where 
in sickness and danger the Lord looked upon 
us in mercy, and delivered us in answer to 
prayer. 

"They who trust Him wholly, 
Find Him wholly true." 




(310) 



CHAPTER XXI 



What It Means to Give India 
the Gospel 



T is not enough to send a few loyal 
representatives of the message among 
so vast a population as that of India; 
neither is it sufficient to give out a 
few books and tracts, and then look 
for a great harvest of souls. The field is 
immense, the work great, and time is an 
element of success in all large undertakings. 
While it is true that many of the heathen 
in India desire help, and are ready to be 
taught, there are many more who are quite 
satisfied with their present condition, and are 
always ready to cry out, like some of old: 
"What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou 
Son of God? art Thou come hither to tor- 
ment us before the time?" 

Many years ago the missionary did not 
have free access to the people in India. Not 
so to-day. Since the British government 
practically controls the whole of India, every 
door is open wide for the spread of Bible 
truth. Thank God for this. But there are 
still difficulties to be met, and these must 

(311) 



312 Fruit from the Jungle 

not and cannot be overlooked. As we face 
them, our hearts should be drawn out in 
prayer that God will go before His messen- 
gers, and prepare the way before them. Has 
He not said, "I will go before thee"? 

CASTES 

Probably the first and greatest hindrance 
to the spread of the gospel in India to-day 
is the old and iron-bound caste system. The 
word "caste" is used in such an indiscriminate 
manner in America that it loses its true 
meaning; whereas in India it is always used 
in the exclusive sense, having a specific and 
positive force. No other people on the face 
of the earth are so bound about by caste 
rules and prejudices as the benighted peoples 
of India, particularly the Hindus. In Eu- 
rope, America, and some other lands, society 
is more or less divided into clans and cliques, 
according to education, wealth, official posi- 
tion, color, language, and attainments; but 
these are not the constituent elements of that 
seemingly impregnable system called zarth, 
or caste, in Hindustan. 

In our land, an individual belonging to a 
very ordinary stratum of society to-day, may 
to-morrow, by his personal endeavors and 



What It Means 313 

strength of character, be received into the 
society of those he once did not, and perhaps 
could not, associate with. Not so in India. 
Caste in this pitiful land is altogether a ques- 
tion of birth, and has nothing whatever to 
do with wealth, education, position, or per- 
sonal character. No wonder that poor per- 
sons in India are fatalists, and believe in 
Nasheeb, or fate. Many of them desire to 
rise; but it is their "luck," as they say, to be 
born in that lower scale of human society, 
from which, thej^ are taught, there is no 
escape. 

It is true that the best classes of society 
are usually found among the upper castes; 
but if a man is born a fool in a high-caste 
family, he is more honorable than a wise man, 
no matter how great his attainments, in a 
low-caste family. One frequently sees beg- 
gars who are high-caste people and honored 
by all, and rich low-caste men who are dis- 
honored by all. 

There are practically four great castes in 
India: first, the sacred Brahman, includ- 
ing the priests, or Brahmans, who are also 
the philosophers and men of letters; second, 
the military or protecting class, commonly 
called the Kshatriya, or protectors from 



314 Fruit from the Jungle 

evil; third, Vcdsya, which includes merchants, 
tradesmen, husbandmen, etc., who are con- 
sidered the nourishers of the state; fourth, 
the Sudra, who, proceeding from the feet of 
Brahma, are servants to the higher orders, 
mechanics, etc. These four castes are said 
to have sprung from the head, heart, thighs, 
and feet of Brahma. Besides these orders, 
which are divided into families under a great 
variety of rules, there are a number of mixed 
castes, occasioned by mixed marriages; and 
lastly, the outcastes, who are held in utter 
detestation by all. 

Hindus sometimes say there are twelve and 
one half castes, and each one of these twelve 
and one half have twelve and one half castes 
more; and so it goes, like an endless chain, 
until there are actually hundreds of castes in 
India, and scarcely anybody knows where 
the system ends. 

BONDAGE OF CASTE 

The Brahman is high and lifted up in his 
pride, conceit, and self-esteem. He is a 
god to all beneath him; and most pitiful of 
all, the man of a lower caste, as well as the 
high-caste man himself, believes this to be 
actually so. The abuse to which this spirit 




(315) 



316 Fruit from the Jungle 

of self-esteem is carried is painful in the' 
extreme. For instance, the high-caste man 
is very particular to take his daily bath, and 
repeats his prayers all the while he is bath- 
ing. This over, he at once hobbles on his 
wooden sandals to his house for his morning 
meal. If perchance the shadow of a low- 
caste man should fall upon the high-caste 
man, he must take a full bath all over again 
before he eats, because that shadow has 
defiled him. From this, one can readily see 
with what contempt the high-caste man looks 
upon one of an inferior caste. A low-caste 
man must never go upon the housetop of a 
high-caste man until the people have vacated 
the house. Thus the people of India are ever 
in absolute bondage to thousands of customs 
and rules. Nothing but the grace of God in 
their hearts will ever change these conditions. 
One day a native Christian accidentally 
touched a yoke of oxen pulling a cart con- 
taining a barrel of water. The driver, a 
high-caste man, became enraged, beat the 
Christian, and according to caste rules, had 
to empty all that water out upon the ground. 
Even the missionary must use great wisdom 
and precaution in his associations with the 
natives, not to cause ill feeling, and thus 



What It Means 317 

hinder the work of the Lord. Sometimes 
indiscretion has caused serious trouble. 

How different is all this from the spirit 
of our Master, who said, "One is your 
Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." 
"By this shall all men know that ye are 
My disciples, if ye have love one to an- 
other." Instead of being a sign of love, 
which unites, the sign of Hinduism is caste, 
which divides. Until this difficulty is over- 
come, little progress can be made. I regret 
to say that some have made a compromise by 
tolerating caste in so-called Christian mis- 
sions of India. In such circles, the Hindu 
has kept his old creed, simply adopting a 
new name. 

The education of the higher and the lower 
castes in the same lines of thought has a great 
tendency to equalize the people. The medi- 
cal missionary plays an active part in the 
breaking down of caste prejudices. When a 
high-caste man in great pain presents him- 
self at the medical missionary dispensary for 
treatment, it frequently happens that the 
nurse or assistant who waits upon him is a 
converted low-caste man. Thus little by 
little, old-time prejudice vanishes, and the 
way is opened for the gospel. 



318 Fruit from the Jungle 

For the purpose of submitting their rep- 
resentation to the secretary of state for In- 
dia through the proper authorities, a repre- 
sentative meeting of the depressed classes of 
the Dharwar District was convened in the 
Bengeri Theater, Hubli, under the president- 
ship of Mr. R. B. Rodd, the first unofficial 
president of the District Board of Dharwar. 
The chairman said the chief reason for con- 
vening the meeting was to give the depressed 
classes an opportunity of expressing their 
views on the present political situation and of 
bringing to the notice of government the 
several disabilities under which they were ren- 
dering honest services to the government and 
the country at large. He earnestly solicited 
the high castes, even among the depressed 
classes, to give a helping hand to their low- 
caste brethren. 

The meeting considered a resolution, which 
read: "This meeting prays the government of 
India to pass an enactment that no caste dis- 
tinctions should be observed in government 
offices and public institutions, as the same 
are against the declared British policy of 
equality and justice." 

The resolution was proposed by Mr. Sa- 
dashiv Malkajee, Dhar railway guard, who 



What It Means 319 

said the practice of regarding the depressed 
classes as untouchables had crippled their 
growth as a society, was detrimental to the 
interests of the nation, and was a great 
stumblingblock in their elevation. He was at 
the same time glad to acknowledge that some 
sympathetic officials were helping them a 
good deal, but they were only a minority as 
compared with the remaining number of 
unsympathetic persons, who went on treating 
them as untouchables. Mr. Gopal Bhivajee 
Pal, a mahar contractor of Hubli, seconded 
the resolution, which was passed. 

It was also resolved "that this meeting begs 
government to reserve sufficient number of 
posts, in the government services, for mem- 
bers of the depressed classes according to 
their qualifications, as that privilege is at 
present practically denied to them notwith- 
standing that they have a population of five 
crores and over, which is about fifteen per 
cent of the whole population of India." 

"That this meeting solicits government to 
create special electorates or introduce a sys- 
tem of special nominations for the depressed 
classes to enable them to send their repre- 
sentatives to public bodies, viz., village pan- 
chayats, town municipalities, Taluk and Dis- 

21 



320 Fruit from the Jungle 

trict Local Boards, and the Provincial and 
Imperial Councils, if they are fitted by edu- 
cation and other qualifications; and this meet- 
ing further assures government that a num- 
ber of persons able to represent the depressed 
classes, can be found among them even 
to-day." 

FALSE RELIGIONS 

Perhaps the next greatest barrier to the 
spread of the gospel is the system of false re- 
ligions extant in India. We find not only 
the religion of the Hindus, with its thirty- 
three million gods, teaching the transmigra- 
tion of souls through eighty-five thousand 
births for the elimination of sin from the 
soul of man, but also the faith of Islam. The 
Hindus are largely vegetarians, and hold all 
life as sacred, even the life of an egg. Xot 
so with the Mohammedan, who even kills 
and eats the sacred cow. While both these 
false systems cater to all that is low and 
degraded in the unregenerate human heart, 
they live and thrive side by side. The Hindu 
declares that all roads lead to the celestial 
city, and the Christian religion is therefore 
all right for the Christian, but that his own 
will lead to the same end. The Mohammedan 



What It Means 321 

says that "God is God, and Mohammed is 
His prophet;" therefore all should become 
Mohammedans . 

Besides these already mentioned, we have 
Zoroastrianism, or the religion of the fire 
worshiper. The Parsi belongs to this class. 
His religion consists in saying kind words, 
thinking kind thoughts, and doing kind deeds. 
He worships the sun, the moon, the stars, 
fire, air, and water. 

Again, thousands of scattered Jews are 
to be found in India. Having lost sight 
of Jehovah, they have copied many customs 
from the Hindus, but still call themselves 
"Yehudyloke." 

The Eurasians, whose fathers were white 
men and whose mothers were natives, usually 
speak English, and follow English customs. 
They form a class by themselves, and are 
either Protestants or Catholics. 

Many other classes might be mentioned, 
but enough has been said to show the motley 
mixture of religious beliefs with which the 
missionary must battle in the spread of 
Bible truth. 

In facing a nation of three hundred and 
fifteen millions, there is no hard and fast rule 
of attack. One must look to God continually, 



322 Fruit from the Jungle 

and walk softly, feeling his way along a new 
and untried path, and trusting God's Holy 
Spirit to guide him. 

LANGUAGES 

The multitude of languages presents an 
obstacle, it is true, but not so serious as those 
already mentioned. To learn a language, or 
even several of them, is not an impossible 
task. By consecration, concentration, and 
hard study, any language may be acquired 
so accurately that the gospel may be clearly 
proclaimed in it. Half the difficulty with 
many who fail lies in the fact that their de- 
sire to preach the truth to the heathen is not 
strong enough. "Out of the abundance of 
the heart the mouth speaketh;" and when 
the heart is full of the love of God for lost 
souls, and an opportunity is afforded of 
learning a way to present that love, erelong 
love will find words to express itself freely 
and fully. 

In America, we speak of easy methods and 
short cuts in the acquisition of certain kinds 
of knowledge; but there is no easy way to 
learn a language in India. In fact, as one 
sits beside his native pundit, or munshi, study- 
ing those strange sounds, he is often tempted 




(323) 



324 Fruit from the Jungle 

to become discouraged. When he thinks he 
is making rapid progress in certain lines, he 
may wake up to the fact that he is all wrong, 
and that he has not exactly caught the proper 
accent after all. A certain lady wanted to 
tell the servant that a wildcat was in the 
cupboard, but she said a wild sheep was in the 
cupboard. A slight mistake, it is true; but 
such mistakes are often embarrassing in the 
extreme, and a great hindrance to a timid 
person. 

Native methods of teaching are very dif- 
ferent from Western methods, and the stu- 
dent is often puzzled to understand what the 
teacher is attempting. Sometimes the young 
missionary finds that his teacher is learning 
more of English than he himself is learning 
of the Hindu dialect. Unexpected difficulties 
arise; and after a while, each man maps out 
a way of his own, and pursuing his own 
method, soon gains marvelously, to the sur- 
prise of teacher, missionary, and friends. 
After one dialect has been acquired, the ac- 
quiring of another, or even of several, is not 
so difficult, if health and strength permit. 

But until one dialect is thoroughly ac- 
quired, no definite work can be done among 
natives. Millions of them never learn to 



What It Means 325 

speak our language; and if they ever have 
Christ presented to them, we must speak to 
them in their own tongue. They will not 
burden themselves to learn our language; so 
the responsibility, after all, rests upon us 
who go to them. 

By many, the climate of India is con- 
sidered a hindrance to the preaching of the 
gospel. But God made the people, and God 
made the climate ; and the same God, through 
His Son, said, "Preach the gospel to every 
creature." So when God calls and sends to 
a certain field, He evidently intends to stand 
by the one sent, until he faithfully delivers 
the message. 

During the last one hundred and fifty 
years, missionaries of various creeds have 
done much to solve many difficulties, and re- 
cruits may learn valuable lessons from former 
workers and those now in the field. Many of 
the pioneers in this difficult field "loved not 
their lives unto the death." To-day India is 
advancing. British rule has brought many 
blessings and great opxDortunities for the 
peoples of this grand and beautiful country. 

In the face of seeming difficulties, it is 
always best to lift up the shield of faith and 
proceed for victory. Caste may appear as 



326 Fruit from the Jungle 

immovable as the mighty rock of Gibraltar. 
However, all things are possible with God 
and to those who put their trust in Him. 
Many have been won from all castes, and 
to-day are found side by side at the Lord's 
table. The old systems of false philosophy 
are crumbling; and where they have failed 
to bring hope and comfort, there are many 
ready to plant the cross of Jesus. The many 
languages that present such a jargon of dis- 
cordant sounds are gradually being modified 
by Christian thought, and to-day many 
tongues are learning of the one Jesus Christ, 
and say, Hallelujah! Amen! 

The apostle Paul said, "I can do all things 
through Christ which strengtheneth me;" so 
with the heaven-called and divinely equipped 
missionary. He does not stop at caste 
systems, false religions, strange languages, 
trying climates, and insurmountable diffi- 
culties, but he sees Jesus, "the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world," and 
ever hears the words that fell from His 
gracious lips, "I, if I be lifted up from the 
earth, will draw all men unto Me." To Him, 
"faith laughs at impossibilities, and cries, It 
shall be done." 



Healing in the Jungle 




BY THE EDITOK 

HE Bombay Presidency in western 
India is a great and important mis- 
sion field. The territory fronts on 
the Arabian Sea one thousand miles, 
with an average breadth of one hun- 
dred miles. The population numbers twenty- 
seven millions. Two principal languages are 
spoken — the Marathi by eighteen million, 
the Gujarati by nine million. 

The largest city, and one of the finest and 
cleanest, in India, is Bombay, with a popula- 
tion of one million. This city is the western 
gateway to India. It has many beautiful and 
up-to-date buildings, broad, clean streets, 
well kept and spacious parks, and generally 
good sanitation. 

Religiously, the people in this field embrace 
twenty-one million Hindus, five million Mo- 
hammedans, 500,000 Jains, 150,000 Roman 
Catholics, 50,000 nominal Protestants, and 
80,000 Zoroastrians, the descendants of the 
old fire-worshiping Parsis from before the 
days of Cyrus the Great. In the center of a 
beautiful park stand their "towers of silence," 

(327) 



328 Fruit from the Jungle 

on the tops of which are placed their dead to 
be devoured by vultures. 

Bombay is the headquarters of our mission 
work, where there is a growing native church. 

Forty miles northeast of Bombay is our 
Kalyan mission, in the midst of the deepest, 
darkest heathenism. At the head of this mis- 
sion — indeed, the beginners of this mission 
— are Pastor and Mrs. M. D. Wood, the 
latter of whom is a physician. This is the 
first Christian mission established in Kalyan. 
These devoted workers, with their helpers, 
are taxed to the utmost. Dr. Wood conducts 
"one of the largest and best medical dispen- 
saries in all our mission fields." It was 
opened in February, 1913. Here is a de- 
scription of a morning at the mission, by 
Pastor Arthur G. Daniells, in 1915, two 
years after its establishment: 

"We reached Kalyan early enough in the 
morning to see the work of the day start. 
There was a great crowd waiting for the 
doors to open. Before beginning the medical 
work of the day, the missionaries gathered 
in the large waiting room. A native brother 
connected with the mission then read a Scrip- 
ture lesson, gave them a twenty-minute talk 
about the gospel, and offered an earnest 



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330 Fruit from the Jungle 

prayer for them. . . . Then the dispensary 
work began. Between fifty and seventy-five 
persons received attention that day. Some 
were disposed of in a few minutes, while 
others were in a serious condition, needing the 
most thorough, skillful treatment." 

A record is kept of the name, age, sex, re- 
ligion, and ailment of every person passing 
through the dispensary. In the year 1914 
there were 16,421 patients treated, and 978 
homes visited. These patients represented 85 
villages. There were 312 minor surgical 
cases. Diseases range from leprosy to simple 
sore throat. In connection with this work 
were given 312 gospel talks, 11,820 pages of 
literature were distributed, $325 was ex- 
pended, and $482 received. In 1915, the 
treatments increased to 21,423. 

The workers also carry healing and bless- 
ing to villages far and near. In one town 
sixty miles distant, a dispensary is conducted, 
the railway authorities granting Dr. Wood a 
free pass in a first-class compartment, in 
recognition of her work. 

Pastor Wood conducts two schools, with 
an attendance of forty, and preaches in 
Marathi to the people of many surrounding 
villages. 



Healing in the Jungle 331 

Another report of a visit to Kalyan, by 
Pastor W. T. Knox, in 1917, indicates com- 
mendable growth. While he looked on the 
sick who came, one woman totally blind was 
relieved of the cataracts that had robbed her 
of sight. 

Two miles from the dispensary is a tract 
of nine acres belonging to the mission, on 
which good buildings have been erected. 
Here Pastor Wood was then conducting a 
school of about thirty. These children live 
within the compound, and are housed, fed, 
and clothed at a cost of about five rupees 
($1.60) a month each, and are given what is 
equivalent to about four grades of school 
work. Those who give promise of develop- 
ing into workers are passed on to the ad- 
vanced school at Lucknow. 

Here we leave them sowing beside all 
waters, seeing some of that seed develop and 
bear fruit to the glory of God and the re- 
joicing of their own hearts. Seed in some 
soils takes long to germinate and grow. But 
this is left to God, whose word will not re- 
turn void, but who will bring some fruitage 
from the jungle sowing in His own good 
time, that both sower and reaper "may re- 
joice together." 



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